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Elon Musk has publicly thanked President Donald Trump after their previous fallout — and following prompting from the president.
On Wednesday, Nov. 19, Trump, 79, gave an address at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum and spoke about the “Big Beautiful Bill,” noting that there will be deductions on domestic car purchases within the government’s behemoth spending plan.
As Trump explained the deduction, he pointed to Musk, 54, who was in attendance, and said, “If they buy a nice Tesla car and borrow the money —” but then he cut himself off to say, “You are so lucky I am with you, Elon.”
“Has he ever thanked me properly?” the president asked.
After Trump’s speech, Musk issued a message of gratitude for the president on X. “I would like to thank President Trump for all he has done for America and the world,” he wrote in the Nov. 19 X post. The post was accompanied by photos of Musk, Trump and other leaders and businessmen at the forum, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.
The White House
Trump’s comment and Musk’s response came one day after Musk attended Trump’s White House dinner for bin Salman on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
The Tesla CEO appeared at the black-tie event following the Middle Eastern leader’s meeting with the president in Washington, D.C. There, Trump told the dinner guests, “This room is loaded up with the biggest leaders in the world,” according to The Hill.
Musk’s recent appearances at Trump’s side follow his stint as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The tech titan held the position from January until May 30, when Trump announced Musk would be leaving his post once his special government employee contract ended.
However, days after Musk’s exit, he unleashed his true feelings about the “Big Beautiful Bill.”
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk wrote in an X post at the time. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty
Musk later walked back some of his comments; however, a source told PEOPLE in June that Musk’s relationship with the Trump White House was forever damaged.
In July, Musk announced he was making a new political party, the American Party, in response to Congress passing Trump’s domestic policy bill. In response, Trump then called Musk a “train wreck” and accused him of going “off the rails.”
Months later, in early September, Musk said at the All-In Summit that his time as the advisor was one “a hell of a side quest,” according to The Seattle-Times.
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Despite their fallout, weeks later the pair were seen at right-wing activist Charlie Kirk’s memorial service on Sept. 21.
Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, and the president paid tribute to Kirk with a 40-minute eulogy at the event. There, Musk and Trump briefly spoke. Shortly after, Trump addressed their conversation to the press, and said that Musk approached him to say hello.
However, following the reports of their previous tensions, The New York Times reported on Nov. 18, that this upcoming weekend, several people who worked for Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency will celebrate his time working with the president. Musk is expected to attend the Austin-based event.
