By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met billionaire Elon Musk at the Pentagon on Wednesday, officials said, the second known time the close ally of President Donald Trump has visited the department’s headquarters.
In March, Musk, whose businesses have a number of Defense Department contracts, was granted an unprecedented top-level meeting at the Pentagon.
“The Secretary met with Elon Musk and other members of the X AI team this morning,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement.
“The Department of Defense is committed to engaging with AI industry CEOs to ensure our warfighters are equipped to face 21st century threats,” Parnell added.
The meeting was first reported by Reuters.
Earlier on Wednesday, Hegseth’s pastor, Brooks Potteiger, had said on X: “It’s not everyday you walk past Elon Musk en route to preach.” Potteiger spoke at a Christian prayer service at the Pentagon on Wednesday.
Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ahead of his first meeting in March, there was a media report that Musk would be briefed on secret war plans for China, something Musk, Trump and others denied. Musk, at the time, called the report “pure propaganda” and urged legal action against leakers.
Musk’s businesses Starlink and SpaceX already have a number of Pentagon contracts, raising questions about conflicts of interest as he advocates for innovation and re-prioritization of Pentagon spending to find efficiencies.
Trump’s planned Golden Dome missile defense shield, which would require hundreds of sensors and other satellites to keep watch for incoming ballistic missiles, would be a natural fit for SpaceX and its Starlink unit.
The opportunities for his companies, SpaceX in particular, under Trump could drive billions of dollars of revenue to his firms.
The White House has previously said Musk will recuse himself if any conflicts of interest arise between his business dealings and his role in cutting federal government spending.
Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has made cuts across the U.S. government, including at the Pentagon.
Musk said on Tuesday he will cut his political spending substantially, the latest public signal that he is shifting his attention back to his business empire amid growing investor concerns.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Chris Reese and Jamie Freed)
