"Rare occurrence," U.S. media: Musk participates in Trump's call with Modi

Ask AI · What business motives lie behind Elon Musk’s participation in a phone call involving the leaders of the U.S. and India?

【Global Times report, reporter Zhang Qian】According to a report by The New York Times on March 27 local time, U.S. President Trump spoke by phone with Indian Prime Minister Modi on the 24th about issues including the situation in the Middle East. U.S. business figure Elon Musk was also involved. The New York Times said Musk’s participation is noteworthy because, during wartime crises, it is extremely rare for a private citizen to take part in a call between two national leaders, which also indicates that Musk’s relationship with Trump has eased to some extent.

May 30, 2025, Trump (right) and Musk attended a press conference at the White House. Photo source: VCG

On the 24th, Modi said that he exchanged views with Trump on the West Asian situation in a phone call. The latest update from The New York Times said that two U.S. officials confirmed Musk’s involvement in the call. It is still unclear why Musk took part in the call, or whether he spoke during it.

The report also said that Musk’s companies have already received substantial investments from sovereign wealth funds in Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar. At the same time, Musk has also been hoping to expand his business presence in India. In addition, Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX is also considering making its first public offering later this year, but if the global economic situation worsens, this plan could be affected.

The New York Times noted that in their official statements, the governments of the U.S. and India did not mention Musk’s participation in the call.

As introduced, Musk previously served as head of the U.S. government efficiency department, and later developed serious disagreements with Trump over issues including the “Big and Beautiful” tax and spending bill, launching a fierce “war of words,” which at one point became a focus of U.S. public opinion. Later, some U.S. media said that the two seemed to have repaired a relationship that had once been tense.