"Mom Was By My Side"... What Musk Said About the Warm Shot with the Italian Prime Minister

Musk Clarifies on SNS: "Not a Romantic Relationship"
Prime Minister Meloni Separated from Cohabitant in October Last Year

A photo capturing Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, and Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy, exchanging affectionate glances has become a hot topic. On the 24th, Musk posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account, stating, "There is absolutely no romantic relationship with Prime Minister Meloni," and added, "I was there with my mom." This appears to be a response from Musk clarifying after a photo circulated online showing the two sitting close at the same table, looking at each other with affectionate eyes, accompanied by the caption, "We all know what happened next."

This photo was taken when the two attended the 13th 'Global Citizen Award' ceremony held in New York, USA, on the 23rd.
[Photo by EPA·Yonhap News]

The photo was taken when the two attended the 13th 'Global Citizen Award' ceremony held in New York, USA, on the 23rd. At this ceremony, hosted by the American think tank Atlantic Council to honor individuals with significant international influence, Prime Minister Meloni received an award, and Musk took the stage as the presenter handing the award to Meloni.

At this awards ceremony, individuals with personal and professional connections to the recipients introduce the awardees. It is reported that Prime Minister Meloni requested Musk to attend as a presenter.
[Photo by AP·Yonhap News]

At the ceremony, it is customary for someone acquainted with the awardee to introduce them, and it is known that Meloni requested Musk to attend as the presenter. Before handing over the award, Musk introduced Meloni as "a person whose inner beauty far surpasses her outward appearance." Meloni, upon receiving the award, responded by calling Musk a "precious genius."

The photo of the two taken by Reuters quickly spread through social media, and their mutual tributes made headlines in both European and American media on opposite sides of the Atlantic. The New York Post titled its article, "Musk and Meloni Publicly Display Affection."

Meanwhile, Musk visited Italy in June last year and met with Prime Minister Meloni for over an hour. About six months later, in December of last year, he attended the annual political event of the right-wing Italian party led by Meloni at her invitation. Meloni ended a long-term cohabiting relationship in October of last year.