Elon Musk was notably absent from a White House dinner hosted by President Donald Trump on Thursday evening, an event that brought together leaders from major US technology companies. The Tesla CEO, once a constant presence in the early days of the Trump administration, stated on his social media platform X that he had been invited but could not attend, planning to send a representative instead.
The dinner, held in the State Dining Room due to a forecast of thunderstorms, included Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft's Bill Gates, Apple's Tim Cook, and OpenAI's Sam Altman. The White House did not comment on Musk's absence, which marks a stark contrast from the period after the 2024 election when Trump joked that Musk would not leave the White House.
Musk's absence highlights a growing rift between the two men following a public falling out in May over policy differences, including Musk's opposition to Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill. The dispute escalated when Musk accused Trump of involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein files. Since then, Musk has largely disappeared from high-profile government events, though Trump has continued to praise him as a 'genius' while acknowledging he has 'got some problems'.
The vacant seat underscores a shift in influence, with rival tech leaders like Tim Cook growing closer to the administration. Cook recently visited the White House and gifted Trump a 24-karat-gold souvenir. Meanwhile, Trump aides have reportedly discussed cutting Musk's government contracts, though reviews found this would be difficult.
Musk's political evolution began in 2022 when then-President Joe Biden failed to invite him to a summit on electric vehicles, a snub Musk has not forgotten. He has since moved to the far right, turning X into a platform for far-right influencers and contributing nearly $300m to Trump's re-election campaign and Republican causes. Despite his earlier influence, Musk's absence from Thursday's dinner signals a diminished role in the administration.
