AP PHOTOS: Elon Musk leaves the White House after a turbulent effort to slash the government

The nation's capital had never seen anyone like Elon Musk, who announced this week that he's stepping back from his role as Donald Trump's most unorthodox adviser.

Musk, the world's richest person in the world, had an outsized role leading the Department of Government Efficiency as it canceled contracts and slashed the federal workforce. Musk says he's moving away from political activity to refocus on his businesses, such as electric automaker Tesla and rocket company SpaceX.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.