• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts

2

Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts

3

Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it

1

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts

2

Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts

3

Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it
TechFortune 500

Did Elon Musk Visit the Pentagon to Talk About a Real-Life Iron Man?

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 9, 2016, 10:36 AM ET
US-ENTERTAINMENT-FILM-OSCARS
CEO of SpaceX and Tesla Elon Musk and wife Talulah Riley arrive to the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 2, 2014 in West Hollywood, California. AFP PHOTO/ADRIAN SANCHEZ-GONZALEZ (Photo credit should read ADRIAN SANCHEZ-GONZALEZ/AFP/Getty Images)Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez—AFP via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The Defense Department isn’t saying why Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk was at the Pentagon on Wednesday. But the outspoken Musk provided one possible reason.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Musk referenced a CNN story that confirmed he was at the Pentagon that day. He added, “Something about a flying metal suit,” tipping that he could have discussed the iconic flying metal suit found in the Iron Man franchise. He has not commented about his trip to the Pentagon beyond that.

Of course, it’s unlikely that Musk talked about an Iron Man-like suit and his tweet was likely meant as a joke, but he was indeed at the Pentagon on Wednesday, the Defense Department confirmed to CNN. While neither Musk nor the Defense Department would say exactly what they talked about, a spokesman at the Pentagon said they discussed “innovation.” The spokesman added that the meeting was a fact-finding mission of sorts, to see “what’s going on in the world of innovation.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Musk currently has government contracts with the U.S. through his other company, SpaceX, which helps the U.S. government launch satellites into orbit. He has made clear in the past that he wants to extend his SpaceX partnerships with the government. However, the Defense Department said that the parties didn’t discuss any contracts during the meeting.

The fuzziness about what went on in the meeting is compelling enough, but it comes against the backdrop of the U.S.—and especially Defense Secretary Ash Carter—trying to improve relationships with the technology companies.

Something about a flying metal suit…https://t.co/6Z1D9iZ1fV

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 9, 2016

Earlier this year, for instance, the Defense Department announced that it would launch the Defense Innovation Advisory Board. The department tapped Alphabet (GOOGL) executive chairman Eric Schmidt to lead the board, which will also include up to a dozen people who have “excelled” in the technology sector.

“The board’s mandate is to provide department leaders independent advice on innovative and adaptive means to address future organizational and cultural challenges, including the use of technology alternatives, streamlined project management processes and approaches—all with the goal of identifying quick solutions to DoD problems,” the agency said at the time.

For more on Tesla, watch:

It’s possible, therefore, that Musk might find himself on that board. Members haven’t yet been announced.

In addition to the board, Carter has established the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental, which works with companies in Silicon Valley and Boston to see what sorts of innovations they’re developing that could be adopted by the government.

So, while it’s possible Musk really was there to at least joke about being the real-life Tony Stark, chances are, he was only there to talk about everything but an Iron Man suit.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Apple accuses OpenAI, and former design star Jony Ive’s io Products firm, of stealing hardware trade secrets in blockbuster lawsuit
Big TechApple
Apple accuses OpenAI, and former design star Jony Ive’s io Products firm, of stealing hardware trade secrets in blockbuster lawsuit
By Sebastian HerreraJuly 10, 2026
5 hours ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sitting next to U.S. President Donald Trump at the G7 Meeting in Evian, France.
AIOpenAI
OpenAI’s latest AI model likely has similar cyber vulnerabilities to one that led to U.S. export controls on Anthropic’s Fable, British agency says
By Emily Forlini and Jeremy KahnJuly 10, 2026
5 hours ago
Memory chip giant SK Hynix jumps nearly 13% in Wall Street debut as AI frenzy powers biggest initial share sale in the U.S. by a foreign company
AISemiconductors
Memory chip giant SK Hynix jumps nearly 13% in Wall Street debut as AI frenzy powers biggest initial share sale in the U.S. by a foreign company
By Damian J. Troise and The Associated PressJuly 10, 2026
6 hours ago
Billionaires warned New York would scare off business. Anthropic and Airbnb just made their biggest bets on the city yet
Real EstateAnthropic
Billionaires warned New York would scare off business. Anthropic and Airbnb just made their biggest bets on the city yet
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 10, 2026
8 hours ago
This summer’s hottest IPOs are minting a new class of ultra-high-net-worth ‘IPO Bros’—and family offices are changing how they approach them
SuccessIPOs
This summer’s hottest IPOs are minting a new class of ultra-high-net-worth ‘IPO Bros’—and family offices are changing how they approach them
By Catherina GioinoJuly 10, 2026
9 hours ago
A row of people sit in a zoning meeting, many looking down or around the room.
EnvironmentData centers
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 10, 2026
14 hours ago

Most Popular

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts
Economy
U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts
By Eleanor PringleJuly 10, 2026
18 hours ago
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
Success
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
By Emma BurleighJuly 9, 2026
2 days ago
Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it
Middle East
Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it
By Jason MaJuly 10, 2026
12 hours ago
Farm groups saved Bayer in court over RoundUp cancer claims. Five days later, Bayer called for tariffs on the ingredient farmers rely on
Economy
Farm groups saved Bayer in court over RoundUp cancer claims. Five days later, Bayer called for tariffs on the ingredient farmers rely on
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 9, 2026
2 days ago
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
Environment
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 10, 2026
14 hours ago
Self-made multimillionaire says Canadians 'give no money away' compared with Americans—research shows U.S. giving is more than twice as high
Success
Self-made multimillionaire says Canadians 'give no money away' compared with Americans—research shows U.S. giving is more than twice as high
By Preston ForeJuly 9, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.