Twitter owner Elon Musk keeps replica pistols, a photo featuring George Washington and what appears to be a Buddhist amulet on his bedside table, which is stained from drinking Diet Coke without coasters, according to a photo he tweeted Monday.
“My bedside table,” the billionaire CEO tweeted, for no immediately apparent reason. He added: “There is no excuse for my lack of coasters.”
The table features an old-school pistol in a wooden box decorated with the famous patriotic painting, “Washington Crossing the Delaware.” In front of the box lies a decidedly more futuristic looking handgun.
According to New York Post’s analysis of the photo, the vintage-looking gun is a replica of George Washington’s personal flintlock pistol, and the other imitates a revolver from the video game “Deus Ex: Human Revolution.”
There is also what appears to be an abstract metal object in the lower left corner. The Post identified that as a vajra – a symbol of spiritual power that is one of Tibetan Buddhism’s most important ritual objects, according to Khan Academy.
And closer to the bed, four opened cans of caffeine-free Diet Coke sit on top of dozens of ring stains.
The Revolutionary War imagery at Musk’s bedside reflects patriotic aspects of the Tesla and SpaceX CEO’s public persona. Born in South Africa, Musk is a promoter of the American dream and leaned heavily into support for the First Amendment during his recent Twitter buyout.
But the weaponry on display may not signal any preference for an expansive Second Amendment. After the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Musk told CNBC he favors “tight” background checks on all gun purchases and restricting assault weapons to certain buyers.
The relevance of the Buddhist amulet is also unclear. He has described himself as “not very religious” while admitting he prayed during a SpaceX launch, and said he doesn’t “worship anything, but I do devote myself to the advancement of humanity using technology.”
