WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — On Friday evening, Donald Trump welcomed Apple CEO Tim Cook for dinner at his Mar-a-Lago resort, as reported by a source familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Cook’s meeting with Trump represents a continuation of efforts by prominent tech executives—including Sam Altman of OpenAI, Mark Zuckerberg from Meta, and Jeff Bezos of Amazon—to foster better relations with the newly elected president after a series of contentious interactions during Trump’s prior administration.
In previous discussions, Trump has indicated that he spoke with Cook regarding Apple’s protracted tax issues with the European Union.
This dinner follows a phone conversation between Trump and Cook that took place less than two months ago. The timing is notable, as Apple recently concluded its last appeal with the EU concerning a debt of 13 billion euros (approximately $14.34 billion) in back taxes owed to Ireland.
Trump recalled part of their exchange during an interview in October, saying, “He mentioned that the European Union had just fined us $15 billion. On top of that, they hit us with another $2 billion fine.” This context adds an interesting layer to the dinner discussions.
The EU’s top court decision marked the end of a long-standing dispute involving preferential tax deals that Ireland offered to entice multinational corporations while minimizing their tax obligations within the 27-nation bloc. The European Commission ruled in 2016 that Apple had received illicit financial aid from Ireland, which the country was compelled to reclaim.
Requests for comments from both Trump’s transition team and Apple concerning the dinner with Cook have gone unanswered.
Notably, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has announced plans for a personal contribution of $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund, with confirmation from the company released on Friday. Additionally, both Amazon and Meta have disclosed that they donated $1 million each to the fund as well.
During his previous term, Trump voiced criticism directed at Amazon and frequently expressed discontent with the coverage by The Washington Post, owned by Jeff Bezos. In more recent times, Bezos has adopted a friendlier tone; last week at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit in New York, he expressed optimism regarding Trump’s upcoming second term while endorsing the president-elect’s intentions to slash regulations.
The contribution from Meta followed a private meeting between Zuckerberg and Trump earlier at Mar-a-Lago. Although Zuckerberg has not publicly backed any presidential candidate for 2024, he has shown a more favorable attitude towards Trump, commending how Trump handled his first assassination attempt.
