President Trump awards Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, Lisa Su, and Sergey Brin the National Medal of Science at a White House summit promoting US innovation

President Donald Trump joined Michael Kratsios to award the Medal of Science to Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, Lisa Su and Sergey Brin amid announcements about new science funding.

NBC News 2026-10-09 Jared Perlo

Context & Ripple Effects

The awards extend a White House effort to bring major technology executives into its science and industrial-policy orbit. Jensen Huang was already named to the science and technology advisory council, while a 2025 White House dinner tied tech leaders' engagement to chip, AI and data-center investment priorities.

The ceremony also spans science and technology honors: Michael Dell and Satya Nadella received the technology medal in a parallel White House recognition. Together, the awards give the administration a visible way to align prominent company leaders with its innovation agenda alongside the summit's funding announcements.

First-order effects

Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, Lisa Su and Sergey Brin receive the National Medal of Science, elevating their standing as publicly recognized contributors to the White House's innovation program.
The White House gains a high-profile forum for associating its science-funding agenda with leaders of companies central to AI, computing and internet technology.

Second-order effects

Other technology executives seeking influence over federal science, chip and data-center priorities have a stronger incentive to engage through White House councils, summits and public commitments.
For Nvidia and AMD, whose CEOs are represented at the ceremony, policy access and public recognition become another arena of competition alongside their commercial rivalry.

Third-order effects

If the administration continues pairing formal advisory roles with nationally visible honors, technology-policy influence may become more concentrated among a small group of chief executives with direct White House access.
The pattern points toward industrial and science policy being shaped through executive-level partnerships with major technology firms, rather than only through agencies and traditional research institutions.

The trend: The White House is building a more executive-centered technology policy network that combines advisory appointments, investment priorities and public recognition.

Discussion

@michaeldell Michael Dell on x
42 years ago, I started @Dell with $1,000 in my dorm room. Today, I'm deeply honored to receive the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. 🇺🇸 Thank you @POTUS. This honor belongs to the incredible teams, partners and customers who made it possible. The best is yet to come. …
@elonmusk Elon Musk on x
Congratulations to Sergey, Jensen, Lisa, Michael and Satya!
@ericldaugh Eric Daugherty on x
🚨 JUST IN: Effective immediately the Trump administration has hereby SUSPENDED ADOBE, MICROSOFT, Cognizant, Tata, Infosys, Wipro, HCL, and Capgemini from the Permanent Labor Certification Program They undercut American workers. THEY FAFO'D THIS. IS. MASSIVE.
@whitehouse @whitehouse on x
TODAY: President Trump honors our great science and technology leaders at the White House, with the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. 🇺🇸
@nvidia @nvidia on x
Congratulations to our CEO @JensenHuang on receiving the National Medal of Science for advancing GPU computing to power scientific breakthroughs. And to fellow honorees Elon Musk, Lisa Su, Michael Dell, Satya Nadella, and Sergey Brin.
@rapidresponse47 @rapidresponse47 on x
.@POTUS presents the National Medal of Science to Sergey Brin, @JensenHuang, @elonmusk, and @LisaSu, and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to @MichaelDell and @satyanadella. [video]
@whitehouse @whitehouse on x
President Donald J. Trump, alongside Director of Science and Technology Policy Michael Kratsios, award six patriots the highest honor in science and technology, the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. 🇺🇸
@nasaadmin @nasaadmin on x
President Trump @POTUS, alongside great leaders like @mkratsios47, is ushering in a Golden Age of Science and Discovery. The extraordinary Americans honored today are pushing the boundaries of what is possible, from Super Intelligence to space exploration, and helping secure our …
@mkoeris Michael Koeris on x
The recipients of the National Medal of Science @elonmusk @JensenHuang Sergey Brin @LisaSu @satyanadella 👏👏👏👏 🫡🇺🇸
@atrupar Aaron Rupar on x
this shit is beyond parody, man. It truly is the make a wish presidency. now Trump is getting an award!
@saracarterdc Sara A. Carter on x
Progress for All humanity ....
@lisasu @lisasu on x
It was an incredible honor to receive the National Medal of Science from @POTUS today. My parents came to America with big dreams and a deep belief in education and hard work. This country gave me the opportunity to pursue my passion for semiconductors and work with extraordinary…
r/InterstellarKinetics r on reddit
BREAKING: President Trump Awards National Science & Technology Medals Of Honor To Elon Musk, Sergey Brin, Jensen Huang, Lisa Su, Satya Nadella …
@hkarthik Karthik Hariharan on x
Trump and Vance are definitely playing good cop/bad cop with Microsoft right now. This is what you do when you want something like favorable pricing on a multi-year government contract. Or to get the anti-immigration folks to the polls before you rug-pull them later.
@jblunt1018 James Blunt on x
Vance seems to be running a competing administration. One side targets Microsoft while the other honors its CEO. Do they even talk to each other? 🤡
@mattooshashank Shashank Mattoo on x
Breaking: US President Trump honours Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella just hours after suspending Microsoft's ability to sponsor most foreign workers for green cards
@satyanadella Satya Nadella on x
Thank you, @POTUS, for this incredible honor today. I'm humbled to stand alongside so many giants of American innovation and looking forward for what we can continue to do together to advance technology and drive American prosperity.
@rapidresponse47 @rapidresponse47 on x
.@POTUS: “For more than three decades, @satyanadella has been a key figure in the transformation of Microsoft — revolutionizing the company and empowering businesses, students, and consumers from all over the world with some of the most capable software ever built.”
Muhammad Chen Muhammad Chen on linkedin
Congratulations to our Chair and CEO Dr. Lisa Su on receiving the National Medal of Science, recognizing her remarkable contributions to semiconductor technology …
Keith Strier Keith Strier on linkedin
AMD Chair and CEO Dr. Lisa Su awarded the National Medal of Science today by President Trump. — Two weeks after becoming the first-ever female CEO of a trillion-dollar company. …
Karan Bhatia Karan Bhatia on linkedin
Proud to witness the President awarding Google founder Sergey Brin with the National Medal of Science today, together with five other remarkable US technology leaders. …
r/JoeRogan r on reddit
Friend of the show gets special boy award from friend of the show he accused of being a p***
@paulguinnessy Paul Guinnessy on bluesky
It's partly why I was gobsmacked seeing who got National Medals of Science and National Medals of Technology and Innovation at some glitzy event (with “Science” in a gold plated giant font) that OSTP and Trump had yesterday. i.e. No scientists.

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