Donald Trump hosted leaders from major US tech companies at a White House dinner on Thursday night, with Elon Musk notably absent. The Tesla CEO, once a constant presence at the White House during the early days of Trump's second term, said on X that he had been invited but could not attend, planning to send a representative instead.
The dinner included Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft's Bill Gates, Apple's Tim Cook, and OpenAI's Sam Altman. It was originally scheduled for the newly paved Rose Garden but was moved indoors due to thunderstorms. The event featured televised praise for the president from several tech leaders and a brief question-and-answer session with reporters.
Musk's absence marks a stark shift from his previous influence, which included leading the so-called 'department of government efficiency' and contributing nearly $300m to Trump's re-election. Their relationship soured in May over policy differences, with Musk accusing Trump of being involved in files related to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump still calls Musk a 'genius' but recently told reporters he 'has got some problems'.
In Musk's absence, other tech executives have grown closer to the administration. Earlier this month, Trump hosted Tim Cook, who gifted him a 24-karat-gold souvenir. Meanwhile, Trump aides have discussed cutting Musk's government contracts, according to the Wall Street Journal.
