Javier Milei will become the first Argentine in history to meet with Elon Musk. The libertarian president and the South African tycoon will formally meet next Thursday in Austin, Texas, at Tesla's headquarters.
Argentina's president will travel to Miami on Tuesday, where he will receive the "International Ambassador of Light" award from the Chabad Lubavitch community. The organization recognizes Milei for his efforts for Israel and for promoting freedom. Milei will accept the award as part of the inauguration of the Menachem Mendel Schneerson Center.
In addition to the spiritual importance that the event itself means for the Argentine president on his path to conversion to Judaism, he will take the opportunity to star in one of the most anticipated meetings in recent months. After much exchange of praise on social media, Javier Milei will hold a formal meeting with Elon Musk, who took the initiative to schedule the meeting.
Journalist Ignacio Orteli from LN+, an Argentine television channel, confirmed the meeting and specified that the meeting would take place on Thursday at Tesla's headquarters.
Milei will not be accompanied by his sister and general secretary of the presidency, Karina Milei, who will stay in Miami. Gerardo Werthein, future Argentine ambassador to the United States, will take Karina's place during the meeting. A veterinarian by profession, Werthein was president of the Argentine Olympic Committee (COA) between 2009 and 2021 and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) since 2011.
Once the meeting with Musk is over, Milei will travel to Denmark to attempt to buy an F-16 aircraft via NATO. During the 2023 presidential campaign, the Argentine president emphasized the poor state of the Armed Forces and his desire to rebuild them with more investments in the future.
The relationship between Javier Milei and Elon Musk
In the hours after Milei's victory in the 2023 elections, a diverse range of world leaders congratulated him and wished him luck. However, one of the most viral reactions was that of Musk, who responded to a tweet stating that "Argentina is preparing for prosperity."
Holy sh*t. Argentina just elected Javier Milei as their next president.
History has been made today. pic.twitter.com/YMBlzWPIl6
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) November 19, 2023
After previous communication via social media, both parties spoke on the phone, and the idea of materializing a meeting arose for the first time.
"Today I had a great conversation with Elon Musk, where I thanked him for defending the ideas of freedom and supporting our work, especially considering everything he represents as an icon of freedom in the world. Elon wishes me good luck and success in the task, remembering that Argentina knew how to be one of the most prosperous and influential countries in the world and that he was aware of all the challenges that both Argentina and I have ahead of us," Milei posted on his social media.
"Although he will not be able to attend the transfer ceremony, we stay in touch so that he can visit Argentina next year and we can continue strengthening ties and working together," he added.
Obviously, plans changed, and Milei will pass through Texas to meet Musk on Thursday, April 11.
