“Dinner of the Century” – and without Musk

🍽️ The White House once again hosted a grand reception: Donald Trump organized a dinner for the heads of America’s largest tech companies. At the same table sat Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Tim Cook (Apple), and Sam Altman (OpenAI). The atmosphere was festive – cameras, praise for the president, and the usual high-society glitter. A video clip of the dinner can be viewed on our Telegram channel.

But the most discussed fact of the evening was who wasn’t there.

Elon Musk, who until recently was seen as Trump’s near “shadow adviser,” was absent. On his platform X, the billionaire explained: “I got the invitation but couldn’t attend, so I sent a representative.” Still, Musk spent the entire day active on X – posting harsh comments about immigration and transgender people.

“Dinner of the Century” – and without Musk

From “the president’s best friend” to an empty chair
Just a year ago, Trump joked that “Musk won’t leave the White House, I can’t get rid of him.” Now, the Tesla CEO’s absence has become the main symbol of change. Since their relationship soured this spring – when Musk criticized Trump’s flagship bill and hinted at his possible ties to the Epstein scandal – the two have not been seen together.

History repeating itself?

This isn’t the first time Musk has been left “outside the door” of the White House. Back in 2022, Joe Biden did not invite him to an electric vehicle summit – an incident that became a turning point in the billionaire’s political career. It was then that Musk declared he would “never vote for Biden again.” Now the story seems to be repeating itself, only under Trump.

Between politics and business

Musk’s absence is also notable from a practical perspective. He invested nearly $300 million in Trump’s re-election campaign and spearheaded the creation of the “Department of Government Efficiency,” actively lobbying for cuts to federal agencies. But now his influence has weakened, and competitors are gradually taking his place beside the president.

Tim Cook, for example, earlier this month gifted Trump a 24-karat gold souvenir, strengthening Apple’s ties with the administration. Meanwhile, Musk is locked in lawsuits with Apple and OpenAI – companies whose leaders were seated at the dinner. Had he appeared, the atmosphere in the room could have turned extremely tense.

Musk and political “sins”

Today, Musk is known not only as a “tech visionary” but also as a media mogul who radicalized X. He regularly retweets far-right influencers, spreads conspiracy theories about elections and immigration, and increasingly takes positions that irritate the traditional establishment. His absence from the dinner can be seen as a direct consequence of this new role.

🔥 What’s next

Trump still calls Musk a “genius,” but adds that he “has some problems.” The only question is whether they can reconcile – or whether this “cold war” will finally push Musk off the political Olympus. For now, one thing is clear: the “empty chair” at the president’s table has become the strongest symbol of how quickly the balance of power in Big Tech and politics is shifting.