Topline
Billionaire Elon Musk, Tim Cook, Jensen Huang, and soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo were among several high-profile attendees at President Donald Trump’s black-tie dinner for Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, on Tuesday night.
Key Facts
The black-tie dinner was the first time Musk had been at the White House since he left his role as a “special government employee” heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in May, then publicly feuded with Trump.
The billionaire’s attendance at the event is the latest sign of a thawing of ties between him and Trump as Musk’s threat to start his breakaway “America Party” appears to have stalled.
Jensen Huang and Lisa Su, the CEOs of chip giants Nvidia and AMD, were also in attendance at the black-tie dinner, months after both companies signed deals to supply their advanced semiconductors to AI company Humain—which the Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF owns.
David Ellison, the CEO of Paramount Skydance Corporation, was also present at the dinner amid reports that the Saudi sovereign fund could partly fund his company’s bid to acquire rival Warner Bros. Discovery.
Other high-profile attendees included Apple CEO Tim Cook and billionaire and Dell CEO Michael Dell.
Tangent
Cristiano Ronaldo, the legendary soccer star who tops the list of all-time goal scorers, was also in attendance at the White House event. In 2023, Ronaldo joined Saudi soccer club Al-Nassr on a record €200 million ($231 million) per year deal, amid Riyadh’s push to become a global sporting hub. Al-Nassr is primarily owned by PIF, and the Saudi Crown Prince serves as the fund’s chairman. Earlier this year, Ronaldo signed an extension deal that will keep the 40-year-old at the club till 2027. He ranked number one on Forbes’ list of the World’s Highest Paid Athletes of 2025, and he is projected to earn an estimated $275 million this year.
