WASHINGTON: Elon Musk, the world`s richest person and Donald Trump`s former adviser, said on Wednesday he regretted some of his recent criticisms of the US president, after the pair`s public falling-out last week.

`I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far,` Musk wrote on his social media platform X. Musk`s expression of regret came just days after Trump threatened the tech billionaire with `serious consequences` if he sought to punish Republicans who vote for a controversial spending bill.

Their blistering break-up largely carried out on social media before a riveted public since Thursday last week -was ignited by Musk`s harsh criticism of Trump`s so-called `big, beautiful` spending bill, which is currently before Congress.

Some lawmakers who were against the bill had called on Musk one of the Republican Party`s biggest financial backers in last year`s presidential election to fund primary challenges against Republicans who voted for the legislation.

`He`ll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that,` Trump, who also branded Musk `disrespectful,` told NBC News on Saturday, without specifying what those consequences would be.

Trump also said he had `no` desire to repair his relationship with the South African-born Tesla and SpaceX chief, and that he has `no intention of speaking to him.

In his post on Wednesday, Musk did not specify which of his criticisms of Trump had gone `too far.

The former allies had seemed to have cut ties amicably about two weeks ago, with Trump giving Musk a glowing send-off as he left his cost-cutting role at the socalled Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

But their relationship cracked within days as Musk described the spending bill as an `abomination` that, if passed by Congress, could define Trump`s second term in office.-AFP