Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke at an event in Menlo Park (California)
Sheet The New York Times On December 12, it was reported that Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, donated $1 billion to US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration fund.
Meta has not provided details about the reason for the donation, in a move that took place two weeks after the company’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg went to Florida and had dinner with Mr. Trump at the Mar-a-Lago resort.
During that meeting, the two had fun moments in a friendly atmosphere and Mr. Zuckerberg congratulated Mr. Trump on being elected president. Mr. Zuckerberg also had a meal with Mr. Marco Rubio, the person chosen by Mr. Trump to be secretary of state.
Mr. Trump invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to the inauguration ceremony?
A Meta spokesman said at the time that Mr. Zuckerberg “was grateful to receive the invitation to have dinner with President-elect Trump.”
Gifts to inaugural committees, which have no contribution limits, are a popular choice for businesses and individuals looking to curry favor with the new administration. Trump’s inaugural committee is offering top benefits to donors who contribute $1 million.
Mr. Zuckerberg is one of many technology business leaders who have tried to build a direct relationship with Mr. Trump.
Even before last month’s election, Mr. Zuckerberg, along with leaders Tim Cook of Apple and Sundar Pichai of Google, began communicating with Mr. Trump. Experts say that these entrepreneurs want to put themselves in a position that can benefit their businesses. According to Forbes on December 12, billionaire Zuckerberg has a fortune of 218.6 billion USD and is the 4th richest person in the world.
Mr. Trump has previously had a tense relationship with Meta, accusing the company of restricting him and other conservative figures on its apps. After the riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, Meta blocked Mr. Trump on its platforms, although his accounts were later restored.
Mr. Trump has also personally criticized Mr. Zuckerberg, once saying that the CEO should be imprisoned in retaliation for “conspiring against” him in the 2020 election.
However, in recent times, Mr. Zuckerberg has had at least two private phone calls with Mr. Trump. In one call, Mr. Zuckerberg wished Mr. Trump all the best and said he was “praying” for Mr. Trump after he was assassinated.
In a letter to Congress in August, Mr. Zuckerberg publicly expressed regret about some of his past political activities. He said in 2021, President Joe Biden’s administration “pressured” Meta to censor more Covid-19 content than he was comfortable with.
Mr. Trump has 65 million followers on Facebook and Instagram. Mr. Trump’s team did not immediately respond to Meta’s request for comment on information related to the above donation.
