Paris: Elon Musk, the world's richest man and one of Donald Trump's closest allies, made a surprise appearance Saturday at the ceremony marking the re-opening of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.
The boss of Tesla, SpaceX and social media network X landed during the afternoon at Le Bourget airport north of Paris, which is frequently used by private jets, an airport source told AFP, asking not to be named.
Musk was then present inside the cathedral for the ceremony on Saturday evening to mark its re-opening after the 2019 fire. His attendance had not previously been announced.
He took a picture of the cathedral's immense doors before entering and also had an exchange inside with Trump who was sitting in the front row.
"Magnificat Cathedrale," he posted on X with a video of the cathedral's vaulted roof.
Musk has taken an influential and highly visible role at Trump's side since the Republican won re-election in the United States on November 5.
He spent at least $270 million funding Trump's campaign and he moved into the president-elect's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida after election day while the next White House team was assembled.
The two men have watched an Ultimate Fighting Championship bout in New York, as well as the launch of one of Musk's SpaceX rockets.
Trump has selected the South African-born tycoon and fellow ally Vivek Ramaswamy to head the so-called "Department of Government Efficiency", a commission that will recommend ways of slashing billions of dollars in federal spending.
Given that Musk's businesses are regulated by and receive contracts from the US government, his role has raised concerns about conflicts of interest.
Trump accepted French President Emmanuel Macron's invitation to attend the re-opening of Notre Dame cathedral, more than five years after it was devastated by a fire.
He met Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Saturday, renewing a relationship that was often tense during Trump's first term in office.
The president-elect has nominated several people close to Musk for roles in his new administration, including investor David Sacks as the so-called "AI and crypto czar."
Billionaire astronaut Jared Isaacman, who has collaborated with Musk's SpaceX, was named the head of US space agency NASA. — AFP