On Thursday, Elon Musk strode into the Palazzo Chigi in central Rome for a visit with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Wine, hugs and small talk were exchanged over the course of several long meetings, but the billionaire refrained from making any promises – or letting any details slip about where he’s likely to locate Tesla Inc.’s next European factory.
Musk then traveled to Paris to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron — their second rendezvous in just over a month. With billions at stake in potential investment, EU leaders are jockeying to win over the world’s richest man. France and Italy aren’t his only suitors: Tesla is also reportedly in talks about a factory in Spain.
While his meetings with leaders from across the political spectrum have focused largely on Tesla, another Musk company has loomed large in the background: Twitter, whose collapsing moderation standards have endangered its future in Europe.
