United States President Donald Trump will on Thursday present billionaire Elon Musk with the National Medal of Science, the highest honour the United States awards to scientists and engineers.
Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Advanced Micro Devices CEO Lisa Su will also receive the medal at the White House’s “Science: A New Golden Age” summit.
Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will receive the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
It will be the first time Trump has presented either medal during his two terms as US president.
The honour comes despite the public fallout between Trump and Musk, who briefly led the administration’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce.
Musk contributed more than $290m to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, while the other recipients have also supported Trump or Republican causes in various ways.
White House spokeswoman Liz Huston said the recipients were helping to keep the United States at the forefront of global innovation.
Brin donated to the Republican National Committee in 2025 and attended Trump’s second inauguration.
Michael Dell and his wife, Susan, pledged $6.25bn to Trump’s “Trump Accounts” programme, while Nvidia said it would match the US Treasury’s $1,000 contributions for its employees.
