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Donald Trump, the president-elect, hosted Apple CEO Tim Cook for dinner at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Friday evening, signaling the latest chapter in big tech leaders’ outreach efforts to the incoming administration.
The dinner, revealed by a source familiar with the matter, highlights the ongoing attempts by major tech executives to build a rapport with Trump after a rocky relationship during his first term.
Cook joins a growing list of tech titans who have sought to engage with Trump in recent weeks, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.
Notably, Cook’s meeting comes just weeks after Apple lost its final appeal in a major tax dispute with the European Union over €13 billion ($14.34 billion) in back taxes owed to Ireland.
Trump recently shared details of a prior conversation with Cook during an October interview with podcaster Patrick Bet-David. “He said the European Union has just fined us $15 billion,” Trump recalled, referencing the escalating legal and financial battles Apple has faced in Europe. “Then on top of that, they got fined by the European Union another $2 billion.”
The EU’s tax ruling against Apple centers on allegations that Ireland provided the company with unlawful state aid through sweetheart tax deals. In 2016, the European Commission ruled that Ireland was required to recover the massive sum from Apple, a decision Apple fiercely contested.
Neither Trump’s transition team nor Apple has commented publicly on the specifics of the Mar-a-Lago dinner. However, the timing underscores the strategic efforts by tech leaders to repair strained ties with Trump as he prepares for a return to the White House.
Other major tech figures have also ramped up their outreach. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has pledged a $1 million personal donation to Trump’s inauguration fund, while Amazon and Meta both confirmed $1 million contributions to the same cause.
The donations mark a noticeable shift in tone, particularly for executives like Bezos, who previously clashed with Trump. During Trump’s first term, Bezos criticized the president’s rhetoric and accused him of bias in a legal dispute over a $10 billion Pentagon contract that Amazon lost to a competitor.
Yet, Bezos recently adopted a more conciliatory stance, expressing optimism about Trump’s upcoming term. Speaking at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit, Bezos praised Trump’s regulatory policies and suggested a willingness to work together.
Similarly, Zuckerberg, who previously avoided aligning himself with Trump during the 2024 campaign, has reportedly shifted his tone. In a private meeting at Mar-a-Lago, Zuckerberg expressed a more positive view of Trump’s leadership, even commending his response to the first assassination attempt earlier this year.
The flurry of high-profile meetings and donations underscores the complex and evolving relationship between Silicon Valley and Washington. For the tech industry, maintaining influence over key regulatory and policy decisions is critical.
Meanwhile, Trump’s renewed engagement with tech leaders reflects his strategic efforts to secure broad support as he prepares to lead the nation once again.
