WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is drawing an extraordinary lineup of big tech leaders to his Mar-a-Lago resort as he prepares to take office, underscoring a striking thaw in relations between Silicon Valley and Trump, who had a contentious first term with the industry.
Apple CEO Tim Cook dined with Trump on Friday evening at Mar-a-Lago, joining a growing list of high-profile tech executives making overtures to the incoming administration. The meeting came on the heels of Cook’s recent defeat in a long-running tax dispute with the European Union over €13 billion ($14.34 billion) in back taxes. Trump, who has previously spoken with Cook about Apple’s EU tax challenges, has been vocal about the bloc’s treatment of U.S. companies.
“They fined us $15 billion, and then another $2 billion,” Trump said in October, recalling a conversation with Cook. The tax battle stems from the European Commission’s 2016 ruling that Ireland granted Apple unlawful aid through minimal tax deals.
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CEOs “Bend the Knee”
The gathering at Mar-a-Lago is part of a larger trend dubbed by The Wall Street Journal as “The Week CEOs Bent the Knee to Trump.” Other tech titans have recently made similar gestures. Google CEO Sundar Pichai and cofounder Sergey Brin dined with Trump on Thursday, while Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg reportedly met with the president-elect privately on Thanksgiving Eve. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is set to meet with Trump next week.
Several companies, including Meta, Amazon, and OpenAI, have also made $1 million donations to Trump’s inaugural fund. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed enthusiasm for Trump’s pro-AI agenda, stating, “President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead.”
Shifting Tones
This warming of relations marks a stark turnaround. During Trump’s first term, tech leaders often clashed with his administration. Bezos criticized Trump’s rhetoric, and Amazon argued in court that Trump’s bias cost the company a $10 billion Pentagon contract. Similarly, Zuckerberg avoided endorsing Trump during the 2024 campaign but has since taken a conciliatory tone, praising the president-elect’s response to a recent assassination attempt.
Trump’s rise has also sparked optimism in the business world. At the New York Stock Exchange earlier this week, he rang the opening bell while standing beneath a TIME magazine cover featuring him as “Person of the Year.” Wall Street applauded, and executives from Meta, Visa, Goldman Sachs, and Citadel lined up to meet him.
The Age of AI
The renewed outreach comes as Trump signals a focus on innovation, particularly artificial intelligence. Altman’s public support suggests tech leaders view this as an opportunity to shape AI policy. Meanwhile, Trump’s deregulation promises have been welcomed by executives like Bezos, who recently endorsed Trump’s plans at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit.
Between the Lines
Many of the CEOs now courting Trump were previously outspoken liberals. As noted by The New York Times, the shift reflects the high stakes for companies reliant on favorable policies. With the tech industry’s future hanging in the balance, these leaders are opting to engage directly with Trump, ensuring their voices are heard as the president-elect shapes his agenda.
While Trump has yet to outline specific tech initiatives, the growing lineup of CEOs at Mar-a-Lago underscores the power he wields over an industry that once kept its distance.
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