WASHINGTON, May 21 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary

Pete Hegseth met billionaire Elon Musk at the Pentagon on

Wednesday, officials said, the second known time the close ally

of President Donald Trump has visited the department's

headquarters.

In March, Musk, whose businesses have a number of Defense

Department contracts, was granted an unprecedented top-level

meeting at the Pentagon.

"The Secretary met with Elon Musk and other members of the X

AI team this morning," Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said

in a statement.

"The Department of Defense is committed to engaging with AI

industry CEOs to ensure our warfighters are equipped to face

21st century threats," Parnell added.

The meeting was first reported by Reuters.

Earlier on Wednesday, Hegseth's pastor, Brooks Potteiger,

had said on X: "It's not everyday you walk past Elon Musk en

route to preach." Potteiger spoke at a Christian prayer service

at the Pentagon on Wednesday.

Ahead of his first meeting in March, there was a media

report that Musk would be briefed on secret war plans for China,

something Musk, Trump and others denied. Musk, at the time,

called the report "pure propaganda" and urged legal action

against leakers.

Musk's businesses Starlink and SpaceX already have a

number of Pentagon contracts, raising questions about conflicts

of interest as he advocates for innovation and re-prioritization

of Pentagon spending to find efficiencies.

Trump's planned Golden Dome missile defense shield,

which would require hundreds of sensors and other satellites to

keep watch for incoming ballistic missiles, would be a natural

fit for SpaceX and its Starlink unit.

The opportunities for his companies, SpaceX in

particular, under Trump could drive billions of dollars of

revenue to his firms.

The White House has previously said Musk will recuse

himself if any conflicts of interest arise between his business

dealings and his role in cutting federal government spending.

Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has made cuts

across the U.S. government, including at the Pentagon.

But Musk said on Tuesday he will cut his political spending

substantially, the latest public signal that he is shifting his

attention back to his business empire amid growing investor

concerns.