Elon Musk and Trump Reunite at White House Dinner Hosting Saudi Crown Prince After Public Feud

Musk attends a dinner hosted by Trump for Saudi Crown Prince at the White House.

Elon Musk attended a White House dinner on Tuesday where US President Donald Trump hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, marking their second joint public appearance following an earlier bitter public dispute this year.

Musk's presence at this event may indicate a healing relationship between the Tesla CEO and the US president after their previous tensions.

Earlier, Musk had financially backed Trump's election campaign last year and subsequently became a close presidential adviser, leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with responsibilities for reducing federal funding and positions.

However, their relationship quickly deteriorated. The tech billionaire publicly criticized Trump's comprehensive tax and spending legislation as fiscally irresponsible on social media and announced plans to establish a new political party. Trump responded with threats to eliminate billions in federal government subsidies received by Musk's companies.

According to analysts, this public conflict, combined with Musk's extreme right-wing political statements, negatively impacted Tesla's brand reputation, sales performance, and stock valuation.

Since their falling out, Musk and Trump have rarely appeared together in public. Their last observed interaction was a handshake at conservative activist Charlie Kirk's memorial service in September.

Trump's hosting of the Saudi de facto leader comes as the Crown Prince works to rebuild his international reputation and strengthen connections with Washington. The dinner's notable attendees included Portuguese soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo and Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang.