Elon Musk attended a White House dinner with President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, marking only the second time the three have appeared together publicly since a bitter feud earlier this year.
Musk’s presence suggested a possible easing of tensions in what has been a volatile relationship between the Tesla CEO and the U.S. president.
Musk supported and financed Trump’s election last year and quickly became a close adviser, leading the Department of Government Efficiency and overseeing cuts to federal funding and jobs.
The alliance fractured soon after. Musk used social media to attack Trump’s tax and spending bill as fiscally irresponsible and said he intended to form a new political party. Trump responded by threatening to cut off federal subsidies to Musk’s companies.
Analysts say the feud, combined with Musk’s far-right political rhetoric, damaged Tesla’s brand image, sales and stock performance.
The two have had few public interactions since. Musk was last seen with Trump in September, when they shook hands at a memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Trump hosted the Saudi crown prince as part of efforts to boost ties with Riyadh and support Mohammed bin Salman’s attempts to repair his global reputation. Cristiano Ronaldo and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang were also at the dinner.

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