Elon Musk attended a meal at the White House on Tuesday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and US President Donald Trump.
This was their second public appearance together since a heated public dispute earlier this year. In a tumultuous relationship between the U.S. president and the CEO of Tesla, Musk's presence may be a gesture of healing.
Leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and supervising cuts to federal money and jobs, Musk became a close advisor to Trump's administration early this year after supporting and funding his election last year.
However, the two quickly had a falling out. The wealthy businessman declared his intention to form a new political party and attacked Trump's massive tax and spending bill on social media, calling it fiscally foolish. In retaliation, Trump threatened to stop giving Musk's firms federal subsidies totalling billions of dollars.
According to analysts, the conflict and Musk's far-right political comments damaged Tesla's stock price, sales, and brand image. Since then, Musk and Trump have seldom ever interacted in public.
At a memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September, Musk was last seen shaking hands with Trump. The Saudi de facto ruler is being hosted by Trump in an effort to improve his standing internationally and strengthen his relationship with Washington. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo were among the other guests at the meal.
