Musk Meets Indian PM in Front of US Flag... Trump Says "I Didn't Know They Met"

Three of Musk's Children and Their Mother, Modi's Aides Present at the Meeting

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is visiting the United States, met with Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and head of the government efficiency department (DOGE), a key figure in the Trump administration, before his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the 13th (local time).

On the 13th (local time), Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, met with Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, in Washington DC, USA. Musk was accompanied by his three children and their mother, Shivon Zilis, while Modi was accompanied by his aides. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

After meeting Musk at Blair House, the guest residence near the White House, Modi posted on the social networking service X (formerly Twitter), saying, "Had a very good meeting."

He said, "We discussed various issues including space, technology, and innovation, which Musk is interested in," adding, "I talked about the Indian government's efforts toward minimum government and maximum governance, as well as reforms."

In the photos released by Modi that day, he was accompanied by several aides, while Musk CEO was accompanied by his three children. Also present was Shivon Zilis, the mother of the children and an executive at Neuralink, a company founded by Musk.

The meeting, held before the bilateral summit with President Trump, took place in a setting arranged in the style of a summit, attracting attention from the U.S. media. The New York Times (NYT) commented on the photo posted by Modi, saying, "Musk sitting next to Prime Minister Modi in front of the American flag looks like a head of state."

Regarding this, President Trump, when asked at a presidential memorandum signing ceremony on reciprocal tariffs held at the White House whether Musk met Modi as a corporate representative or as a representative of the U.S. government, replied, "I didn't know they met."

He added, "I assume he probably wants to do business in India, but India is a very difficult place to do business," saying, "Because they have the highest tariffs in the world."