A photo of Elon Musk’s notepad from a recent cabinet meeting of US President Donald Trump has gone viral. The image shows the Tesla and SpaceX CEO seated at a conference table with a name card reading ‘Elon Musk’ in front of him. On the table was a notepad from The White House with the words “Top Secret” scribbled in blue ink, underlined twice.
A pen, an empty glass and a coaster bearing the seal of the President of the United States were also visible in the picture.
The internet didn’t miss the words “Top Secret!!” with social media users zooming in on Musk’s notepad.
“Elon knows the games the media plays, so he decided to mess with them at the cabinet meeting by writing “Top Secret” on his note pad, knowing they would be snapping pics of his notes / phone,” a user wrote on X.
Musk, who currently heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a body aimed at reducing bureaucratic waste and streamlining operation, responded to that post with a “face with tears of joy” emoji.
???? https://t.co/0NsNM4yAdR
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 12, 2025
The meeting, held on April 10, brought together members of Trump’s inner circle amid the US president proposing sweeping tariffs on several major trading partners.
During the meeting, Musk reportedly offered an optimistic outlook, announcing that his DOGE team is expected to save around $150 billion in the 2026 fiscal year by cutting down “fraud” and inefficiencies in government spending.
While the meeting’s discussions were significant, it was Musk’s scribble that sparked a lot of chatter online.
One user wrote, “Underlined twice, two exclamation points. The most top secret.”
“Top Secret” pic.twitter.com/LaMH5x3ftk
— Aurelia End (@AureliaEndAFP) April 10, 2025
Another added, “He 100% wrote it himself with that pen.”
He 100% wrote it himself with that pen
— Ryan (@Ryans_burner) April 10, 2025
“If you don’t think he did that on purpose. i dont know what to tell you lol,” read a comment.
If you dont think he did that on purpose i dont know what to tell you lol..
— Franky.N (@nolin_francis) April 11, 2025
Other comments included, “He’s maybe writing down Val Kilmer movies he wants to watch this weekend,” and “Small detail but funny how everyone else has a title under their name and his is blank.”
