Elon Musk and Donald Trump were at war all summer, but that relationship appears to be warming up.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO received an invitation to Trump’s White House dinner on Tuesday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The dinner had a guest list dominated by CEOs. Musk was joined by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff. This was Musk’s first public appearance at the White House after he fell out with Trump in May.
Following the dinner, Musk posted pictures taken at the dinner on X, which showed himself, the crown prince, Huang, and Trump.
“I would like to thank President Trump for all he has done for America and the world,” Musk’s post said.
And during his speech at the US-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Trump made some lighthearted jokes at Musk’s expense.
“You’re so lucky I’m with you, Elon. I’ll tell you. Has he ever thanked me properly?” Trump said.
The slow thawing of tensions between the two comes after several months of intense public feuding.
Timeline of the Musk-Trump feud
Musk and Trump have had a tumultuous relationship over the past year. The two became steadfast political allies when Musk backed Trump’s 2024 presidential bid.
Musk then called himself the “first buddy” after Trump’s win.
Musk later headed the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, a post he left in May.
The relationship soured in June, when Musk criticized Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” The two men started feuding publicly, with Musk saying Trump would not have won the presidential election if not for his support. Trump, meanwhile, threatened to cut government contracts that Musk’s companies held.
Musk then said he would form a new political party called the “America Party.”
“Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom,” Musk wrote in an X post in July.
The duo have been spotted in public together since their alliance imploded. They were seen shaking hands at political activist Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in September.
And before Trump’s visit to Asia in October, Trump said he had always had a good relationship with Musk.
“I like Elon, I’ve always liked him,” he told reporters on Air Force One in October.
