Germany's Merkel laments influence of big business on Trump

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a bilateral meeting with Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel at the sidelines of the NATO summit in Watford, Britain, December 4, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - Former German chancellor Angela Merkel has called the influence of tech billionaires such as Elon Musk over U.S. President-elect Donald Trump a "huge concern".

In an interview with the news magazine Der Spiegel published on Friday ahead of the release of her memoir, Merkel said the job of politics was ultimately to balance the interests of ordinary and powerful citizens.