Elon Musk and Bernard Arnault – the world’s 2 richest people – had the ultimate power lunch in Paris on Friday
- The world's two richest people met for a power lunch in Paris on Friday.
- Elon Musk and Bernard Arnault, both worth more than $200 billion, dined at the Cheval Blanc hotel.
"Power lunch" may have a whole new meaning after the world's two richest people dined in Paris on Friday.
Elon Musk and Bernard Arnault, the CEO of LVMH, met at Cheval Blanc, the luxury hotel run by the French luxury conglomerate.
Arnault is worth $202 billion, making him the world's second-richest person behind only Musk on $233 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Musk lost his crown to the French tycoon last year but a surge in Tesla's share price this year meant he's once again top of the index.
They were joined by Maye Musk, Elon's mother, as well as Alexandre and Antoine Arnault, a photo uploaded on Alexandre's Instagram story shows. Another photo on Instagram he posted shows them meeting on a terrace that has views of the Eiffel Tower.
Bernard Arnault reportedly told French TV station Quotidien he thought Musk was "an exceptional entrepreneur," but details of what they discussed over lunch haven't yet emerged. It's also unclear what was on the menu.
Later in the day Musk joked at the VivaTech conference that he could launch a perfume in conjunction with the Arnault family.
The Tesla CEO was also joined on stage by Antoine Arnault, who asked him if the advertising industry was threatened by AI. Musk responded: "AI is definitely going to be a massive disruptive force and probably the most disruptive tech ever."
Musk's had a busy few days in Europe. He met with Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday to discuss AI, birth rates, European market rules and innovation, Meloni tweeted.
He also got together with French president Emmanuel Macron on Friday to discuss building a Tesla factory in France, Reuters reported.
Macron tweeted a photo with Musk alongside the caption "Let's work together! #ChooseFrance."