RostrumNews
The United States (US) President, Donald Trump has graciously hosted various tech titans from the country.
The meeting, which took place on 4th September 2025, happened at the White House in Washington D.C.
At the dinner were heads of major tech firms, including Google-parent Alphabet, Apple, Microsoft, as well as the Artificial Intelligence (AI) giant, OpenAI.
Some of those at the dinner had attended Trump’s inauguration, signalling they were ready to fall in line with the 79-year-old president’s worldview, or at least seek to avoid his ire.
However, the CEO of X (formerly Twitter) and the founder of Tesla Plc, Elon Musk was obviously absent at the epochal dinner.
It's noteworthy that Musk is a former Trump's ally, who eventually fell out with the president reportedly owing to their differences on business view and interests.
Meanwhile, the Tesla and SpaceX owner had earlier posted on his handle on the X social platform that he had been invited to the dinner but couldn’t attend, hence sending someone to represent him.
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"Companies at the dinner have been making huge investments in the US data centers and infrastructure to power the next wave of innovation”, disclosed Meta chief and co-founder, Mark Zuckerberg, who was seated at Trump’s right side during the meeting.
On his part, the Apple chief executive, Tim Cook, voiced thanks for Trump setting the tone for the companies to make major investments in the US' manufacturing.
Trump recently threatened trade sanctions against countries that applied regulations to the US tech companies, aiming particularly at the European Union (EU).
“Thank you for being such a pro-business, pro-innovation president,” said OpenAI chief executive, Sam Altman. “It’s a refreshing change.”
Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates, seated next to First Lady, Melania Trump, was less effusive, calling for artificial intelligence to be used to promote international development.
“It’s great we all get together and talk about how the United States could lead in this key area and apply it even to the poorest outside the US, as well as to our great citizens,” said Gates
Gates cited Operation Warp Speed, Trump’s first term initiative which saw the rapid development of Covid-19 vaccines, as an example of America’s capacity for innovation.
Since taking office in January, 2025, Trump has cut international aids and ended investments in the kinds of vaccines deployed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Silicon Valley leaders who did not support Trump during his first term in office, visibly changed course with his return to office.
Many investors have hitherto visited the White House to promise heavy investment in the US, and some were quick to follow the president’s lead in ending diversity promotion programmes, to combat online misinformation.
