The bromance is back on. President Donald Trump offered his distinctive brand of praise for Elon Musk following a weekend dinner with the Tesla Inc. (TSLA) CEO, describing him as mostly genius with a side of mistakes.
The 80-20 Rule, Trump Edition
Speaking to reporters from Air Force One on Sunday, Trump was asked whether Musk was back in good graces after the dinner. "Elon's great," Trump responded. "He's 80% super genius and 20% he makes mistakes." The president also characterized Musk as "well-meaning," which in Trump-speak counts as high praise.
Musk seemed pleased with the evening, posting a photo on X with Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. "Had a lovely dinner last night with @POTUS and @FLOTUS," Musk wrote, adding an optimistic prediction: "2026 is going to be amazing!"
From Feud to Friends
The cozy dinner marks a full reconciliation between the two, who were publicly sparring not long ago over Trump's Big Beautiful Bill and its potential impact on electric vehicles. That tension seems ancient history now. Musk was a major force behind Trump's return to the White House, pouring over $250 million into the reelection campaign—a contribution Trump has publicly acknowledged.
The relationship is yielding some tangible benefits for Musk's broader ambitions. Jared Isaacman, the former CEO of Shift4 Payments Inc. (FOUR) and a close Musk ally, was recently appointed as NASA Administrator. The move could prove significant for Musk's Mars colonization dreams, particularly interesting given that Trump had initially rescinded Isaacman's nomination over concerns about past political associations before reversing course.
Political Access Doesn't Equal Sales
Here's the awkward part: all this political capital hasn't translated into better business results for Tesla. The company recently lost its crown as the world's leading electric vehicle manufacturer to Chinese competitor BYD Co. Ltd. (BYDDY) (BYDDF), which surged past Tesla on the strength of aggressive sales growth.
Tesla's stock metrics tell a mixed story. The company scores well on momentum and quality measures, though value investors might want to look elsewhere. The price trend remains favorable across short, medium, and long timeframes, even as the competitive landscape intensifies.
Price Action: Tesla (TSLA) shares rose 0.78% to $441.49 in after-hours trading on Friday, recovering somewhat after a 2.59% decline to $438.07 at the regular market close.