Apple CEO Tim Cook will donate $1 million (approximately Rs 8.57 crore) to US President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural committee, sources familiar with the matter have said. Mr Cook views the inauguration as an American tradition and is donating in the spirit of unity, reported Axios.
The two had several meetings throughout President Trump’s first term and a dinner at Mar-a-Lago last month. Following the November 2024 US presidential election, The Wall Street Journal reported about Mr Cook’s efforts to build a personal rapport with Trump over the years. The report stated that the Apple CEO developed a unique approach for meetings with the 78-year-old leader, bringing just one key data point to focus on a single issue. âÂÂThat approach helped keep the meetings from spiralling in too many directions,â the report added.
Mr Cook’s connection with Trump dates back to 2019, when he gifted the then-president a Mac Pro computer, valued at $5,999 (around Rs 5.14 lakh), assembled in an Apple factory in Austin, Texas. They have also met a few times, including at Trump Tower and his Bedminster, New Jersey, club.
Trump’s upcoming inauguration is receiving substantial backing from high-profile donors. Among the contributors from Silicon Valley are Amazon, Meta, Uber and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Amazon, Meta and OpenAI have all pledged $1 million, while Uber has committed $2 million. Some of these donations are being made by the companies’ CEOs personally rather than through corporate channels.
In addition to tech giants, the automotive industry has shown strong support. Toyota has pledged $1 million, following similar commitments from Ford and General Motors.
Wall Street has also stepped in, with Goldman Sachs and Bank Of America among the seven-figure donors, while cryptocurrency exchanges Kraken and Coinbase have also made significant contributions.
The donations to Trump’s inauguration are expected to surpass those raised for President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021. Axios states that this could reflect a belief among companies that Trump’s leadership style is more transactional, and they hope that supporting his inauguration will improve their prospects as his new term begins.
