Elon Musk denies affair with Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni

Elon Musk has denied having an affair with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, after pictures of them together sent social media into a meltdown as he referred to the lawmaker as 'beautiful.'

Pictures shared online showed the Tesla founder and the Italian Prime Minister gazing into each other's eyes at the Global Citizen Awards in New York City on Monday, as Musk handed Meloni the titular award.

'Find someone who looks at you the same way the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni looks at Elon Musk,' one X user wrote, sharing a photo of Musk touching Meloni's shoulder.

'You can't have mELONi without ELON,' another added.

The New York Post even went as far as to call the event a 'public love-in' between the world's richest man and the first female Italian prime minister.

But as the photos started circulating on his social media platform, Musk denied having any amorous relations with Meloni at the black-tie event.

'I was there with my Mom. There is no romantic relationship whatsoever with PM Meloni,' Musk wrote on X in response to a post of a photo showing them gazing into each other's eyes at a banquet table, which had the joking caption, 'We all know what happened next.'

Musk and Meloni have met several times before, with the Italian prime minister hosting the billionaire at her official residence in Rome in June of last year.

He then returned to the country that December, when he spoke at a political festival hosted by Meloni's far-right Brothers of Italy party.

They have previously discussed their shared interest in the West's declining birth rates and the positive potential of AI, according to the Telegraph.

Meloni, who split from her longtime partner Andrea Giambruno after he made lewd comments on Italian television in 2023, even requested Musk hand her the Global Citizen Award from the Atlantic Council think tank.

In brief remarks before handing over the award, Musk said Meloni was 'someone who is even more beautiful inside than outside.'

'That can't always be said about politicians,' he joked, going on to refer to her as 'authentic, honest and thoughtful.' 

The Italian right-wing leader replied that the U.S. entrepreneur was a 'precious genius' before launching into her vision for western conservatism.

'I don't know if nationalism is the correct word because it often recalls doctrines of aggression or authoritarianism,' she told the 600-plus person crowd in Manhattan's Ziegfeld Ballroom.

'However, I know that we should not be ashamed to use and defend words and concepts like 'nation" and "patriotism."' 

Meloni went on to call patriotism 'the best response to declinism' as she challenged perceptions of the 'inevitable decline of the West.'

Musk was seen nodding throughout her speech, and stood up to applaud her when she was finished.