'He's Very Welcome': EU Opens Door to Musk After Trump Fallout

The high-profile fallout between Donald Trump and Elon Musk took center stage on Thursday, after the U.S. president voiced his strong displeasure with recent remarks by the billionaire entrepreneur, who was once both a close ally and major donor. The political clash quickly escalated into a personal war of words, with both men trading barbs across social media.

In the aftermath of the rift, questions emerged over Musk’s next move - particularly whether he might seek to expand or shift parts of his business to Europe. When asked about such a possibility during the European Commission’s regular press briefing, spokesperson Paula Pinho offered a light-hearted but clear response: “He’s very welcome,” she said, smiling.

Thomas Regnier, who handles tech-related issues for the Commission, added a more formal note. “Everyone is very welcome indeed to start and to scale in the EU,” he said, pointing to the bloc’s ongoing "Choose Europe" campaign, which is designed to attract startups and growing companies to the continent.

Despite Musk’s historically rocky relationship with Brussels - where he has railed against EU digital regulations and thrown his support behind far-right movements in Germany and elsewhere - his potential move across the Atlantic appears not to be discouraged. The Commission's message was notably open.

The Trump-Musk split appears to have been triggered by a provision in the new U.S. spending bill that would eliminate subsidies for electric vehicles - something Musk has strongly opposed. Trump, for his part, accused the Tesla boss of having gone "crazy" over the issue, and threatened to revoke federal contracts worth an estimated $18 billion. In retaliation, Musk reportedly pledged to pull the plug on a key U.S. space program.

The public feud had an immediate market impact as well, with Tesla shares taking a hit amid the turmoil.