Elon Musk has built his reputation as a man who never backs down—a tech gladiator convinced he’s always right. When he responds to criticism, it’s usually to mock it. The word sorry doesn’t live in his vocabulary. Or at least, it didn’t. For the first time, the billionaire Tesla CEO engaged in an unprecedented act of humility.

At a bill signing event at the White House, Trump invoked his high-profile former aide, saying "Now I know why Elon doesn't like me so much."