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Sam Altman (left) and Tim Cook
While neither Altman nor Cook have spoken publicly on their communications with the president-elect, both stand to gain tremendously from maintaining a positive relationship with him.
Donald Trump hasn't even been inaugurated yet and CEOs are already tripping over themselves to win his favor — including gay tech titans Tim Cook and Sam Altman.
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While neither Altman nor Cook have spoken publicly about their communications with the president-elect, both stand to gain tremendously from maintaining a positive relationship with him.
The Apple CEO made headlines over the weekend for attending a dinner a Friday evening at the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, according to The Associated Press. While it hasn't been revealed what was discussed, Trump and Cook previously met in October to discuss the company's legal battle with the European Union, which saw it fined for over $14 billion in back taxes to Ireland.
The recent meetings are not the first between Cook and Trump — the former introduced the CEO as a "friend" in meetings over five years ago during his first term, and the two have seemingly increased their communications in the face of the second incoming Trump Administration.
Meanwhile, the OpenAI CEO also announced Friday that he would be making a $1 million personal donation to Trump's inauguration fund, on top of the $1 million donated by Amazon and Meta each. Altman said in a statement via The Associated Press that Trump "will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead."
When asked about his thoughts on rival tech CEO Elon Musk's involvement in Trump's second term, Altman only said he is "not that worried." Musk, an early investor in OpenAI, sued the company in August, alleging that it “intentionally courted and deceived Musk, preying on Musk’s humanitarian concern about the existential dangers posed by artificial intelligence." Musk further motioned to prevent the company from transitioning to a for-profit organization last month.
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