Musk is definitely linked to Putin because there is no way Trump would share the spotlight for this long unless Putin was insisting on it.

However, I suspect all Putin has is the receipts for Musk helping to block the Ukrainian attack on the Russian fleet by turning off starlink, helping buy Twitter, shutting down investigations into Musks companies (via Trump), future promises of money and power by removing all sorts of worker and environmental protections.

He’s gotten in so deep he can’t get back out even if he wanted to.