Apple CEO Tim Cook has joined the list of tech CEOs making the pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago to pay their respects to President-elect Donald Trump.
As President-elect Donald Trump gears up for his return to the Oval Office, a growing number of tech industry leaders are making their way to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, seemingly in an effort to court the incoming administration. The latest high-profile executive to join this trend is Apple CEO Tim Cook, who had dinner with Trump at the resort on Friday, marking their first in-person interaction since a phone call two months ago.
During a mid-October appearance on Patrick Bet-David’s podcast, Trump revealed that Cook had called him to discuss the European Union’s $15 billion fine imposed on Apple. Trump’s transition team and Apple have not provided comments on the specifics of their recent meeting.
Cook’s visit to Mar-a-Lago comes on the heels of other tech giants stepping forward to support Trump’s inauguration. OpenAI’s Sam Altman has pledged to personally donate $1 million to the inaugural fund, while Amazon, founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, plans to contribute $1 million in cash and an additional $1 million in-kind by streaming the January 20 ceremony through its Prime Video service. Trump also mentioned an upcoming meeting with Bezos, whom he has previously criticized.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg who also recently visited Mar-a-Lago, has already donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund. This move, along with the contributions from other tech companies, signals a shift in the industry’s approach to engaging with the incoming administration.
Following Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in last month’s election, Cook joined other tech leaders in congratulating the president-elect. In a post on the social platform X, Cook stated, “We look forward to engaging with you and your administration to help make sure the United States continues to lead with and be fueled by ingenuity, innovation, and creativity.”
As Trump’s inauguration approaches, all eyes will be on the evolving dynamic between the tech industry and the new administration. The coming months will reveal the extent to which these relationships will shape the future of technology policy and regulation in the United States.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
