Paris, May 15, 2010 (AFP) – Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk will meet French President Emmanuel Macron and other political leaders at a business conference near Paris on Monday, the Elysee Palace has confirmed earlier media reports.
Musk, the chief executive of Tesla ( TSLA.O ), which bought social network Twitter last year for $44 billion, will meet Macron at the palace before lunching with Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, the finance ministry told Reuters.
Musk will visit the sixth edition of “Choose France” in Versailles, which aims to boost international investment in France.
Le Maire told BFMTV that the discussions between the government and Musk will cover several topics, including electric cars.
“All the investments that are being made today are the result of months or years of negotiations,” said Le Maire, who was asked by BFM TV whether there would be any announcements.
Pressured by Macron’s approval rating over a widely unpopular proposal to raise France’s retirement age, the president is looking to win power by championing efforts to green the industrial sector.
Last week, France beat off competition from Germany and the Netherlands for Prologium’s first overseas car battery plant; This is due to heavy government lobbying, sales incentives and competitive energy prices, according to Taiwanese company executives.
Reporting by Tassilo Hamel, Editing by Louise Havens
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