Kimbal Musk met Italian prime minister Meloni in Rome as opposition parties seek clarification of surprise visit.

Elon Musk's brother Kimbal visited Palazzo Chigi in Rome where he met the Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni and two government ministers on Friday.

Wearing his trademark white cowboy hat, the businessman was accompanied by Andrea Stroppa, Elon Musk's representative in Italy, and Veronica Berti, the wife of Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.

Kimbal Musk, who sits on the board of his brother's Tesla electric car company, shook hands with Meloni during a tour of Palazzo Chigi, according to Italian news reports.

Musk, who describes himself on social media as an entrepreneur, chef and philanthropist, had a meeting with culture minister Alessandro Giuli during which he reportedly discussed a potential project on using technology at cultural sites.

Musk also met Italy's deputy premier and transport minister Matteo Salvini, who posted a picture of the "pleasant meeting" on X and said they had discussed "innovation, entertainment, and the endless potential of Italian art and culture worldwide".

A pleasant meeting today in Rome with @Kimbal, with whom we discussed innovation, entertainment, and the endless potential of Italian art and culture worldwide. pic.twitter.com/xLPNEV8jYZ— Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) January 24, 2025

Opposition parties were quick to seek clarification for the exact nature of Musk's hour-long visit, after Veronica Berti told reporters: "We accompanied him around some ministries to understand how it works, we have a project".

Asked what they had discussed at the meeting, Giuli told reporters "only beautiful things", confirming that the talks involved Italy but adding that it was too early to give any details.

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According to government sources, Musk "presented Giuli, during the private meeting, some projects of his company that provides cultural entertainment through new global technologies. Minister Giuli listened to him and, like the culture ministry, will evaluate this, as well as many other cultural proposals from entrepreneurs that arrive constantly", Corriere della Sera newspaper reports.

Opposition reacts

The reaction from the centre-left Partito Democratico (PD) was immediate, with the group leader in the parliamentary culture committee Irene Manzi stating: "Minister Giuli should explain the details of the meeting", asking for clarification about the "mysterious" project.

The culture committee of the populist Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S) also called for clarification, stating: "When institutional offices are used, there is no room for confidentiality: citizens have the right to know."

Poking fun at the name of Meloni's right-wing party, Riccardo Magi, leader of the centre-left party +Europa, joked: "From Brothers of Italy to Brothers of America", while Elisabetta Piccolotti of the Left-Green Alliance fumed: "We are not a Trump colony".

Starlink

The visit comes as the Italian government is in negotiations with Elon Musk's Starlink to supply a secure telecommunications network.

Meloni is on friendly terms with the tech billionaire and earlier this week she was the only European leader to attend the inauguration of US President Donald Trump who has publicly declared his admiration for the Italian prime minister.

Citing government sources, La Repubblica newspaper reported that the meetings with Kimbal Musk in Rome involved "a series of ideas" but there was "no talk of Starlink at all", adding that the location of Palazzo Chigi depended entirely on the fact that "Giuli was already there".