US President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk
The CEO publicly attacked Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill as “fiscally reckless” and threatened to form a new political party. OpenAI president and co-founder Greg Brockman also shared a photo with Elon and Huang, captioning it, “the future is bright.” Trump responded by threatening to cut billions of dollars in federal subsidies received by Musk’s companies. Public appearances of both together have been rare since the conflict. This dinner is the second public appearance of both of them together after the feud, which was cited by analysts as a factor that negatively impacted Tesla’s brand, sales, and stock price. Musk’s attendance at Tuesday night’s dinner – his first public White House visit since the fallout – drew immediate attention. A video shared widely on X captured the moment President Trump, accompanied by Melania Trump and the Saudi Crown Prince, spotted Musk. Trump was seen gently tapping the Tesla boss, to which Musk responded with a nod. The dinner hosted by President Trump was part of efforts to deepen ties with the Saudi leader. Other distinguished guests at the event included Portugal’s football star Cristiano Ronaldo and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
Musk had a dramatic falling out with the President earlier in the year. Previously, Musk was spotted shaking hands with Trump at a memorial event in September.
The gathering appears to signal a potential reunion between the billionaire business leader and the President.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk was among the industry leaders and other guests who attended a high-profile dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump at the White House, marking a public reunion for the two powerful figures following a bitter public feud earlier this year.