Key Points
- Elon Musk attended Trump’s White House state dinner for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on November 18, 2025, his first public White House visit since their feud
- Musk posted on X thanking Trump “for all he has done for America and the world” after the dinner, signaling reconciliation
- Trump teased Musk at US-Saudi Investment Forum, saying “You’re so lucky I’m with you, Elon. Has he ever thanked me properly?”
- Guest list included Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Vice President JD Vance, and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo
- Saudi Arabia has invested over $40 billion in Tesla and Musk’s xAI, with deals worth over $1 trillion discussed during Crown Prince’s visit
Washington: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the United States garnered global headlines, but a photo from the visit captured the most attention, showing US President Donald Trump, Saudi Crown Prince MBS, and Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk together at an elaborate state dinner. Following the November 18, 2025 event held in the East Room of the White House, Musk thanked Trump on X, marking a dramatic shift in their relationship after months of intense public feuding.
Trump and Musk have long been dogged by tensions and public disputes that reached a boiling point earlier in 2025. However, despite these bitter differences, Musk was invited to and attended the black-tie state dinner held in honor of the Saudi Crown Prince at the White House, representing his first public appearance at the presidential residence since their fallout in May 2025. This high-profile dinner, attended by business titans, tech CEOs, and global celebrities, demonstrates not only the strength of the US-Saudi relationship but also a potential reconciliation between Trump and Musk.
From “Overrated” to Expressing Gratitude
Following the dinner event, Elon Musk wrote in a post on his social media platform X, “I would like to thank President Trump for all he has done for America and the world,” accompanied by photos from the dinner showing himself, the Crown Prince, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and Trump. This message has sparked renewed discussion about their relationship and whether Musk is genuinely seeking to repair ties or strategically positioning himself for business advantages.
Trump and Musk have always experienced dramatic ups and downs in their relationship. Musk supported and heavily funded Trump during the 2024 presidential election and became a close adviser to his administration early in 2025, leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and overseeing controversial cuts to federal funding and jobs. The relationship soured dramatically in June 2025 when Musk strongly criticized Trump’s extensive tax-and-spending legislation known as the “Big Beautiful Bill,” calling it reckless and fiscally irresponsible.
Escalating War of Words and Threats
Subsequently, Musk left the White House advisory committee in May 2025, triggering an escalating war of words between the two powerful figures. Trump threatened to reduce or eliminate government subsidies and contracts to Musk’s companies, including SpaceX and Tesla, which depend heavily on federal support. Musk, in turn, publicly stated that Trump would have lost the 2024 presidential election if not for his financial support and social media influence, writing on X that “Dems would control the House and Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate. Such ingratitude”.
Musk even called Trump “overrated” during the height of their feud and announced in July 2025 that he would form a new political party called the “America Party” to challenge Trump’s influence. “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom,” Musk wrote in an X post that went viral and was interpreted as a direct challenge to Trump’s leadership. These inflammatory statements and public pressure created a deep rift between the two, with many observers believing their relationship was irreparably damaged.
Strategic Reasons Behind Inviting Musk to State Dinner
Despite the public bitterness between Trump and Musk throughout most of 2025, inviting him to the state dinner is being considered a strategic decision with multiple calculated objectives. There are several compelling reasons for this surprising rapprochement.
Saudi Arabia has invested more than $40 billion in Tesla and Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, making the Kingdom one of the largest investors in Musk’s expanding business empire. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wants to rapidly expand Saudi Arabia’s technology and artificial intelligence sectors as part of his Vision 2030 economic diversification plan, and Musk’s companies are central to that ambition. Deals worth more than $1 trillion were being discussed during the Crown Prince’s visit to Washington, with particular emphasis on technology sector partnerships and investments.
In this context, Musk’s presence at the dinner reflects America’s dominant tech industry and its critical role in shaping global technological and economic partnerships. Experts believe that Trump wanted to strengthen his global standing and demonstrate American technological leadership through this event, making the presence of big names like Musk essential to projecting power.
Star-Studded Guest List at White House Dinner
The guest list for the state dinner was dominated by CEOs from America’s most influential technology, finance, and energy companies. Musk was joined at the lavish East Room dinner by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, and numerous other corporate leaders representing trillions of dollars in market capitalization.
Political figures in attendance included Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other senior administration officials. In an unexpected twist, Portuguese soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo also attended the dinner, with Trump mentioning during his speech that his son Barron “is a big fan of Ronaldo” and was excited to meet him. The presence of such globally recognized figures made the dinner a high-profile international event that generated extensive media coverage worldwide.
Trump Playfully Teases Musk at Investment Forum
The day after the state dinner, on November 19, 2025, Trump spoke at the US-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, D.C., where he made lighthearted but pointed jokes at Musk’s expense, further signaling that their feud was easing. Speaking in his typical freewheeling style, Trump repeatedly referenced favors he claimed to have extended to Musk during and after his brief stint as head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
“You’re so lucky I’m with you, Elon. I’ll tell you. Has he ever thanked me properly?” Trump said to laughter from the audience. The president claimed his administration was offering “the middle class a deduction on the interest if they buy one of a nice Tesla car and they borrow the money,” before pausing dramatically, looking towards the audience, and repeating, “You’re so lucky I’m with you, Elon”. Moments later, he joked, “Although I do let him buy other-than-electric cars, but these are minor details,” drawing more laughter.
Hours after Trump’s speech, Musk responded graciously on X with his message of gratitude, suggesting he was willing to accept Trump’s teasing in exchange for renewed access to the administration.
Previous Public Reconciliation Attempts
The slow thawing of tensions between the two comes after several months during which they maintained public distance from each other. According to reports, Musk’s escalating public remarks criticizing Trump damaged Tesla’s brand reputation and negatively impacted sales figures and stock performance during the summer of 2025, potentially forcing Musk to reconsider his confrontational approach.
The duo had been spotted in public together only once before this week’s dinner—shaking hands at conservative political activist Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in September 2025, which was interpreted as a tentative first step toward reconciliation. Before Trump’s visit to Asia in October 2025, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he had always maintained positive feelings toward Musk despite their public disputes, saying “I like Elon, I’ve always liked him”.
Potential Return to Political or Strategic Role
Some reports suggest that Musk’s growing closeness with Trump following the state dinner indicates he could potentially return to a political or strategic advisory role within the administration. He recently appeared with Trump at Charlie Kirk’s memorial event in September, and now the White House state dinner has become a new topic of intense speculation about whether Musk will rejoin Trump’s inner circle.
According to some media reports, Musk’s allies are even planning a “DOGE reunion party” to celebrate his potential return to government advisory work, though no official announcements have been made. Whether Musk will formally rejoin the administration or simply maintain a more cordial relationship while focusing on his business interests remains to be seen.
Business Interests Align US, Saudi Arabia, and Musk
The convergence of American, Saudi, and Musk business interests creates powerful incentives for all parties to maintain positive relationships. Musk previously met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in May 2025 on the sidelines of the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh, where Tesla held a major launch event in April at the Bujairi Terrace, marking the company’s formal entry into the lucrative Saudi market.
The Saudi launch event showcased Tesla’s entire lineup and its vision for a sustainable, technology-driven future, from solar energy and electric vehicles to the autonomous Cybercab robotaxi and the humanoid robot Optimus. With Saudi Arabia positioning itself as a global technology hub and investing tens of billions in Musk’s ventures, the business case for reconciliation between Musk and Trump appears compelling for all parties involved.
