The billionaire and former White House adviser Elon Musk said he was invited to the tech leaders’ summit held in the recently renovated Rose Garden at the White House on Thursday, but he will not participate.
“I was invited, but unfortunately I won’t be able to attend. My representative will be there.”
– Elon Musk
According to the administration, the guest list included leaders of top companies: Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), Tim Cook (Apple), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Sundar Pichai (Google) and Sam Altman (OpenAI).
Context of Musk’s relationship with the White House
Musk has previously often appeared alongside the president and was considered close to the government. In the summer, a dispute arose between him and the government after Musk left a post in the Ministry of Administrative Efficiency. Subsequently, statements about supporting Republican candidates who voted for the funding bill appeared, as well as rumors about the creation of a new political party, although there was no movement in that direction.
The White House had not yet issued an official response. However, in recent days, statements by Donald Trump and Vice President Joe Biden hint at a possible return of Musk to a close circle of influence.
“He is a man of sound judgment, a good man, though he has overstepped the line.”
– Donald Trump
It is also noted that Musk had not previously been invited to the White House’s 2021 electric-vehicle summit – during the Biden administration – partly due to Tesla’s union policies. Musk has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with this situation.
In the context of future relations with the authorities, Musk also reposted a video from 2023 with the remark: “I try not to provoke fights, but I see them through to the end.”
The reporting was prepared by journalists, including Samantha Waldenberg.