A PR expert says a simple four-step plan could save Elon Musk from a complete fall from grace in the wake of his bitter public row with Donald Trump.

Trump and Musk had been firm friends and political allies throughout the tail end of last year, in which Musk helped Trump's campaign win the White House, but had grown tense as the Republican president's "Big Beautiful" government spending bill grew closer and appeared to make decisions Musk did not agree with.

The dramatic fallout that has been ongoing for several days reached its peak last night when US President Trump threatened to cut Musk's government contracts. In response Musk claimed, without providing evidence, that Trump's administration hasn't released all the records related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein because Trump is mentioned in them.

He then sent a follow up post calling on Americans to impeach Donald Trump and place Vice President JD Vance in the White House instead.

And now, PR expert and reputation management guru Eric Schiffer has offered up four key moves he believes the World's Richest Man must make to reclaim his public image.

Mr Schiffer told the Express that Elon Musk had made the mistake of "spraying a meme confetti cannon" on Thursday night while Donald Trump "posted like a patient PR handler".

He said: "Steady isn’t sexy, but in crisis comms it’s kryptonite and Elon gift-wrapped Don the contrast narrative.

"Trump’s post count: five. Musk’s: fourteen plus a retraction. Scoreboard of restraint reads 45-0.

"Bottom line: Musk played 4-D chess on a Tilt-A-Whirl; Trump played checkers on a folding table—viewers focused on the spinning, not the strategy."

But all might not necessarily be lost for Musk, as there could be a simple way to rehabilitate his online image.

Outlining a simple four-step plan, Mr Shiffer went on: "First rule I tell my celebrity and billionaire clients in these situations: strap your thumbs in a straight-jacket.

"Elon should spin the feud into policy: drop a 10-page deficit-slasher white paper, rebrand yourself as the only billionaire who can do math at Mach 25.

"Bring Bill Ackman and Jamie Dimon onto an emergency Spaces; nothing steadies markets like two grey-templed megadonors blessing your sanity.

"Tell Starlink engineers to gift free internet to veterans this July 4th -- flag-wrapped goodwill slaps tariff talk into silence. 

"Finally, schedule a two-day digital detox in Boca Chica; the only tweet allowed is a beach sunset—caption: "Building, not brawling.’"

The messy spat between the US President and the world's wealthiest man unfolded on their respective social media platforms after Trump was questioned about Musk's criticism of his spending bill during a White House meeting with Germany's new leader.

Tesla, the electric vehicle company founded by Musk, saw its stock tumble 14% in a matter of hours in the wake of the row.

The electric vehicle giant's shares initially surged in the aftermath of Trump's victory, subsequently lost those gains during Musk's involvement with DOGE, and then experienced a rebound post-Musk's April declaration to concentrate more intently on Tesla and his other ventures.

The relationship between politicians and their wealthy benefactors is often fraught with tension. Nonetheless, Musk's phenomenal financial support for Trump, pouring no less than $250 million into his campaign efforts, and Trump's subsequent allowance for Musk to wield substantial influence over government restructuring via the Department of Government Efficiency came to an abrupt end as their rapport deteriorated rapidly.

Musk threw his support behind Trump shortly after a harrowing incident where the then-presidential hopeful narrowly escaped an assassination attempt on stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Days later, the revelation of Musk's political action committee, rallying behind Trump's bid for office, hit the news circuits.

Musk rapidly ascended to become a close adviser and frequent companion to Trump, even jumping for joy behind him at an October rally. After Trump's victory, Musk was present as he took the presidential oath, joined him on Air Force One trips to Mar-a-Lago, enjoyed stays in the Lincoln Bedroom, and attended Cabinet meetings donning a MAGA cap.

Three months ago, in a display of solidarity, Trump bought a red Tesla from Musk right on the White House driveway amidst backlash against Musk's company.

Last week, Musk bid Trump adieu in a subdued Oval Office press conference, sporting a black eye he attributed to his son, yet it appeared symbolic of his tumultuous stint in government.