OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to Donate $1 Million to Trump's Inauguration Fund

Sam Altman of OpenAI to Donate $1 Million to Trump Inauguration

OpenAI said on Friday that its chief executive, Sam Altman, was planning to donate $1 million to President-elect Donald J. Trump's inaugural fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships with Mr. Trump. "President Trump will lead our country into the age of A.I., and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," Mr. Altman said in a written statement sent to The New York Times. His planned donation was first reported by Fox News. Earlier this week, the tech giants Amazon and Meta said they were each putting $1 million into the inaugural fund. Mr. Trump and Amazon's founder, Jeff Bezos, have clashed in recent years. Mr. Trump has criticized the Amazon founder over reporting in The Washington Post, which is owned by Mr. Bezos. But more recently, Mr. Bezos has praised Mr. Trump on social media and said he was "very optimistic" about the incoming Trump administration. Mr. Trump has long been critical of Meta's social media platforms, saying they censor conservative viewpoints. But in recent weeks, its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, met with Mr. Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Mr. Altman and OpenAI recently hired key executives who previously worked for Democratic administrations. This summer, OpenAI named Chris Lehane, a lawyer who served in the Clinton White House, as its vice president of global affairs. Its new chief economist, Aaron Chatterji, known as Ronnie, served as a senior economist in President Barack Obama's Council of Economic Advisers and as chief economist at the Commerce Department under President Biden.

OpenAI Founder Sam Altman donating $1 million to inauguration, joining other tech leaders

President-elect Donald Trump packed his inauguration guest list with world leaders to witness his swearing-in as the 47th U.S. president. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is the latest tech giant to open his wallet to welcome President-elect Donald Trump back to the White House. Altman plans to personally contribute $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund, according to an OpenAI spokesperson. "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," Altman said in a statement. Altman's announcement comes after both Meta and Amazon announced plans to contribute $1 million to the inauguration, and as Google's CEO plans to meet with Trump. Amazon also will livestream the inauguration on Amazon Prime, which amounts to a $1 million in-kind contribution, according to a company spokesperson, and company founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos will meet with the president-elect next week. Tech companies are lining up to try to influence Trump's approach to the industry, which he has strongly criticized. Trump appointees for key jobs overseeing tech companies in his next administration are expected to take an aggressive approach. "Big Tech has run wild for years, stifling competition in our most innovative sector and, as we all know, using its market power to crack down on the rights of so many Americans, as well as those of Little Tech!" Trump said in announcing his appointment of Gail Slater as assistant attorney general overseeing the antitrust division of the Department of Justice, adding she would continue his efforts to "fight these abuses." Trump has lashed out at Bezos and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at times. In addition to contributing to Trump's inauguration, both tech leaders have made other overtures to the president-elect in recent months. Zuckerberg meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida last month.

Amazon, OpenAI to Match Meta's $1 Million for Trump's Inauguration

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to make a $1 million personal donation to President-Elect Donald Trump's inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships with the incoming administration. A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the move on Friday. "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," Altman said in a statement. Amazon also said it plans to donate $1 million. The company's plans were first reported by The Wall Street Journal after Trump said Thursday that the company's founder, Jeff Bezos, was planning to visit him in person next week. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, was first to announce such a donation. Altman, who is in a legal dispute with rival Elon Musk, has said he is "not that worried" about the Tesla CEO's influence in the incoming administration.

Sam Altman to donate $1 million in personal funds to Trump's inauguration fund

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to make a $1 million personal donation to President-elect Trump's inaugural fund, joining various other tech leaders who have made similar contributions this week. The $1 million donation will come from Altman's funds rather than from the ChatGPT maker itself, his spokesperson confirmed to The Hill. This differs from his industry competitors, including Mark Zuckerberg's Meta and Jeff Bezos' Amazon, which each made $1 million contributions as companies. "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," Altman said in a statement Friday shared by his spokesperson. The planned donation was first reported by Fox News. While contributions to presidential inaugural funds are not new, some observers have seen the moves as part of broader efforts by the tech industry to court Trump ahead of his second term, especially in the wake of his emerging relationship with tech billionaire Elon Musk. Zuckerberg and Trump had a somewhat contentious relationship since Facebook banned the former president from the platform following the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. At one point, the former president labeled Facebook an "enemy of the people." Trump's relationship with Amazon and Bezos was also rocky in the president-elect's first term. Trump went after Amazon and The Washington Post. In 2019, the e-commerce giant argued in court that it was not picked for a Pentagon contract due to Bezos's past criticism of Trump. For his part, Musk has taken particular issue with OpenAI, which he helped found in 2015 alongside Altman and others. The Tesla and SpaceX owner has accused Altman and OpenAI of manipulating him into supporting the artificial intelligence (AI) endeavor by convincing him it would develop safe and transparent AI. He has an ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI for allegedly abandoning its founding principles as a nonprofit to become a for-profit company. Altman, along with Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, has brushed aside concerns Musk would try to suppress his competitors with his growing influence in the political world. Altman said earlier this month he was "tremendously sad" over his tension with Musk, but believes he will do the "right thing." "I believe pretty strongly that Elon will do the right thing and that it would be profoundly un-American to use political power to the degree that Elon would hurt competitors and advantage his own businesses," he told the New York Times DealBook conference. Bezos, the owner of The Washington Post and aerospace company Blue Origin, expressed similar feelings about Musk in spite of their various spats over the years. The Amazon owner told the DealBook conference he took Musk "at face value" and does not believe he will attempt to punish his enemies. Musk, amid concerns, reposted Altman's and Bezos' remarks last week, writing "they are right" in a signal he does not plan to use his influence to hurt or seek revenge on his industry competitors

OpenAI's Altman will donate $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund

LOS ANGELES -- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to make a $1 million personal donation to President-Elect Donald Trump's inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships the incoming administration. A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the move on Friday. The announcement comes one day after Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it donated $1 million to the same fund. Amazon also said it plans to donate $1 million. "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," Altman said in a statement. Altman, who is in a legal dispute with rival Elon Musk, has said he is "not that worried" about the Tesla CEO's influence in the incoming administration. Trump is putting Musk, the world's richest man, and Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate, in charge of the new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which is an outside advisory committee that will work with people inside the government to reduce spending and regulations. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging that the maker of ChatGPT betrayed its founding aims of benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. Musk recently escalated the lawsuit by asking a federal judge to stop OpenAI's plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully.

OpenAI's Altman will donate $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to make a $1 million personal donation to President-Elect Donald Trump's inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships the incoming administration. A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the move on Friday. The announcement comes one day after Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it donated $1 million to the same fund. Amazon also said it plans to donate $1 million. "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," Altman said in a statement. Altman, who is in a legal dispute with rival Elon Musk, has said he is "not that worried" about the Tesla CEO's influence in the incoming administration. Trump is putting Musk, the world's richest man, and Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate, in charge of the new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which is an outside advisory committee that will work with people inside the government to reduce spending and regulations. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging that the maker of ChatGPT betrayed its founding aims of benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. Musk recently escalated the lawsuit by asking a federal judge to stop OpenAI's plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully.

OpenAI's Altman Will Donate $1 Million to Trump's Inaugural Fund

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to make a $1 million personal donation to President-Elect Donald Trump's inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships the incoming administration. A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the move on Friday. The announcement comes one day after Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it donated $1 million to the same fund. Amazon also said it plans to donate $1 million. "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," Altman said in a statement. Altman, who is in a legal dispute with rival Elon Musk, has said he is "not that worried" about the Tesla CEO's influence in the incoming administration. Trump is putting Musk, the world's richest man, and Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate, in charge of the new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which is an outside advisory committee that will work with people inside the government to reduce spending and regulations. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging that the maker of ChatGPT betrayed its founding aims of benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. Musk recently escalated the lawsuit by asking a federal judge to stop OpenAI's plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman donates $1 million to Trump fund, joining Bezos and Zuckerberg - Fox News By Investing.com

OpenAI's Chief Executive Officer, Sam Altman, has pledged $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration fund, Fox News reported citing sources. Altman's contribution aligns with donations from other tech industry leaders, aiming to support the incoming administration's efforts in maintaining America's leading position in artificial intelligence (AI). In a statement, Altman expressed his anticipation for the country's future under President Trump's leadership in the AI sector. "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," he remarked. This financial commitment is made from Altman's personal funds rather than through OpenAI, the AI research organization he leads. The move mirrors similar $1 million donations from Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), led by Mark Zuckerberg, and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), under Jeff Bezos, which were announced recently. These contributions by prominent figures in the technology industry are seen as steps to foster positive relations with President Trump as he prepares to take office. Tech giant Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has invested heavily in OpenAI.

Sam Altman and Jeff Bezos are the latest billionaires to donate $1M to Trump fund

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Jeff Bezos' Amazon plan to donate $1 million each to President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund, according to reports from Fox and the Wall Street Journal. TechCrunch has confirmed Altman's plans to personally commit the money, which is not coming directly from OpenAI. The donations from the billionaires follow plans by Mark Zuckerberg's Meta to also donate $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund as America's most powerful tech leaders cosy up to the incoming administration. Inaugural funds are used for activities related to the president's inauguration ceremony in January. Amazon's donation is being prepared as Bezos, the company's executive chairman, heads over to Mar-a-Lago to visit with Trump next week, the Journal reports. Bezos and Trump had a fraught relationship in the past. During his first term, Trump repeatedly criticized Amazon's business practices and attacked The Washington Post, which Bezos owns, for being critical of his administration. This time around, Bezos has made a concerted effort to heal those ties. Bezos blocked the Post from endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for president, and has congratulated Trump for his "extraordinary political comeback" on X. Altman, who hasn't faced public criticism from Trump yet, told TechCrunch in a statement: "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead." Silicon Valley largely expects Trump to be light on AI regulation, which they say is necessary for the U.S. to remain competitive on a global scale. And while Altman has no known beef with Trump, the OpenAI founder is in the middle of a legal battle with Elon Musk, another close Trump ally, over OpenAI's attempts to transition to a for-profit company.

OpenAI's Sam Altman to donate $1mn to Donald Trump's inauguration fund

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman will donate $1mn of his personal money to Donald Trump's inaugural fund, the company confirmed on Friday, the latest in a series of gifts from Big Tech and Silicon Valley to show their support for the US president-elect. The move comes just days after Amazon and Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, announced their own $1mn donations to the Trump fund. Perplexity, an AI-driven search engine, also confirmed it had donated $1mn to the fund on Friday, as first reported by Bloomberg. Tech companies have rushed to congratulate Trump following his election victory in November as they seek to build relationships with the Republican before he takes office next year. The growing embrace between Trump and technology investors and executives on the West Coast this year contrasts with the cooler reception he received when he first won the vote in 2016. A few prominent figures, such as PayPal and Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel, supported Trump then, but Silicon Valley, widely seen as a Democratic stronghold, largely shunned him. Altman himself responded to Trump's first election win by posting on Twitter: "This feels like the worst thing to happen in my life." Altman's donation to the fund was first reported by Fox News. But Trump has forged a closer relationship with the tech community over the past year, visiting San Francisco for fundraisers and appearing on popular podcasts, including Joe Rogan's show and All-In, which is hosted by four Silicon Valley investors. Trump has brought in Elon Musk as one of his closest advisers and an important bridge between Washington and San Francisco. Other prominent figures in Silicon Valley have been tapped for roles in the administration or as informal advisers. Last week, venture capitalist and All-In host David Sacks was announced as Trump's AI and crypto tsar, and investor Marc Andreessen has been used as a sounding board on appointments to the newly formed "department of government efficiency", which will be co-led by Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Altman's relationship with the Trump administration is complicated by the presence of Musk, who is suing OpenAI over its move to become a for-profit public benefit corporation. Musk, a former investor and co-founder of OpenAI, has alleged the move is an attempt to monopolise the market for generative artificial intelligence. Musk has also launched his own AI start-up, xAI. In a Reuters event this week, OpenAI chief financial officer Sarah Friar said she trusted Musk "as a competitor [to] put first the national interest and compete appropriately". On Friday, OpenAI claimed in a blog post that Musk had, in 2017, when he was still co-chair at OpenAI, suggested and supported a for-profit component with him at the helm. "When he didn't get majority equity and full control, he walked away and told us we would fail. Now that OpenAI is the leading AI research lab and Elon runs a competing AI company, he's asking the court to stop us from effectively pursuing our mission," OpenAI said in the post. Musk did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Another Tech Titan Kisses The Ring

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman plans on making a personal contribution of $1 million to Donald Trump's inaugural fund, joining the ranks of other big tech CEOs keen on having smooth ties with the president-elect, Fox News Digital reported Friday. "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," Altman, whose company created ChatGPT, said in a statement shared with the outlet. The contribution comes after Meta broke its precedent and announced a donation of $1 million to the inauguration fund, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg meeting with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Amazon will soon follow suit with reported plans to match Meta's donation and also stream the inauguration through its Prime Video business, a service valued at $1 million. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is set to make the pilgrimage to Florida next week to meet with Trump.

Sam Altman joins Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos in donating $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund

The list of U.S. tech leaders showing support for President-elect Donald Trump continues to grow, with Sam Altman planning to donate $1 million to his inaugural fund. The OpenAI chief executive plans to make a personal commitment of $1 million to Trump's Presidential Inaugural Committee, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital (FOXA-0.60%) -- not on behalf of his artificial intelligence startup. "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," Altman said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital and Quartz. Altman previously told Fox News Sunday that he thinks Trump "will be very good at" supporting the U.S. and its allies to lead in AI infrastructure amid a race with China, and that he looks forward to working with the incoming administration. "AI is a little bit different than other kinds of software in that it requires massive amounts of infrastructure, power, computer chips, data centers, and we need to build that here, and we need to be able to have the best AI infrastructure in the world to be able to lead with the technology and the capabilities," Altman said. Earlier this month, Altman said he isn't worried about his former colleague and AI rival Elon Musk's role in Trump's White House. Despite there being "lots of things not to like about" Musk, it would go against his values to hurt competitors, Altman said during an interview at the New York Times (NYT-0.40%) DealBook Summit. "I may turn out to be wrong, but I believe pretty strongly that Elon will do the right thing and that it would be profoundly un-American to use political power, to the degree that Elon has it, to hurt your competitors and advantage your own businesses," Altman said.

Sam Altman To Donate $1M To Trump's Inauguration Fund, Following Zuckerberg, Bezos: 'Eager To Support' - Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN)

The donation follows similar moves by Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos, via Meta Platforms and Amazon respectively. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is the latest billionaire to announce a donation to the inauguration fund for President-elect Donald Trump, following recent moves by both Meta Platforms Inc META CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon.com Inc AMZN founder Jeff Bezos. What Happened: Altman said he supports the new president's efforts to push forward the U.S. growth in the artificial intelligence sector. "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," Altman told Fox News Digital. The donation will come directly from Altman and not from OpenAI, the AI company he co-founded and leads, according to the report. News of the donation follows Altman's recent comments that he was looking forward to working with the incoming White House administration and stressing it was "super important" that the U.S. leads the AI sector as it fends off competition from China. "AI is a little bit different than other kinds of software in that it requires massive amounts of infrastructure, power, computer chips, data centers and we need to build that here, and we need to be able to have the best AI infrastructure in the world to be able to lead with the technology and the capabilities," Altman previously told Fox News. Altman predicted that Trump "will be very good at that." Did You Know? Congress Is Making Huge Investments. Get Tips On What They Bought And Sold Ahead Of The 2024 Election With Our Easy-to-Use Tool Why It's Important: The OpenAI CEO recently downplayed concerns that former friend turned rival Elon Musk having a close relationship with Trump could be bad for his company. "I may turn out to be wrong, but I believe pretty strongly that Elon will do the right thing," Altman said at the New York Times DealBook Summit last week. Altman acknowledged that xAI, an AI company founded by Musk, is a "really serious competitor" to OpenAI during his interview. Musk was announced as the co-lead of the Department of Government Efficiency by Trump. There is concern among the tech industry and from Musk rivals that his new position could see him impact regulation and target competitors. OpenAI's transition to a for-profit company is being contested by Musk, amplifying the rivalry between the two billionaires. Trump announced the appointment of close Musk ally David Sacks as the "White House A.I. and Crypto Czar," which could prompt more worries for competitors of the world's richest man. Altman congratulated Sacks on the new role on X, which prompted a laughing emoji reply from Musk. Bezos and Zuckerberg are each donating $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund and doing so through the companies they founded according to reports, rather than from their personal wealth. Zuckerberg recently met with Trump and Bezos is scheduled to meet with Trump next week according to comments from the president at the New York Stock Exchange Thursday. Trump has previously been critical of Meta Platforms social media platforms, which previously suspended the president's accounts. Trump has also been critical of the Washington Post newspaper, which Bezos owns. On Thursday, Trump acknowledged he wants everyone to do well under his new administration, including Musk and other billionaires like Zuckerberg and Bezos. Trump said Zuckerberg had already "been over to see me" and shared that he was meeting with Bezos next week. Read Next: OpenAI Co-Founders, Now Rivals Sam Altman And Elon Musk Clash Over ChatGPT And xAI's Grok Chatbots Again Photos: Shutterstock Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

OpenAI CEO, Perplexity Give $1 Million to Trump's Inaugural Fund

OpenAI's top executive and AI search startup Perplexity are each donating $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund, a sign that artificial intelligence companies are trying to firm up relationships with the incoming administration. Sam Altman, OpenAI's chief executive officer, is now planning to give $1 million to Trump from his personal funds after having previously donated to President Biden's 2024 reelection campaign. "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," Altman said in a statement to Bloomberg News. Fox News was first to report on the donation.

Jeff Bezos, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to each give $1M to Trump...

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are each planning to donate $1 million to Donald Trump's inaugural fund as tech executives line up to get on the president-elect's good side just a month before he takes the oath of office for a second time. Bezos and the e-commerce giant that he started in the garage of his Seattle-area home in 1994 informed aides to Trump earlier this week that they planned to make the $1 million donation, according to the Wall Street Journal. Altman, CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI who is at legal loggerheads with prominent Trump adviser Elon Musk, is also planning to donate $1 million to the inaugural fund, a spokesperson for Altman told Fox News Digital. "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," Altman said in a written statement. Earlier this month, the Journal reported that Altman, a registered Democrat, was fearful his damaged relationship with Musk would put his company at a disadvantage during a second Trump administration that will rule on key regulatory decisions that will likely impact OpenAI. According to the Journal, Altman has been looking to make inroads with Trump's inner circle by reaching out to friends and associates who know the president-elect and his advisers, including Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, his venture capitalist brother Josh Kushner and others. Meanwhile, Bezos, who stepped down as CEO of Amazon in 2021 but remains the company's largest shareholder, is making the donation through the firm, according to the Journal report. Amazon will also livestream the inauguration on Prime -- which counts as a separate, in-kind donation valued at $1 million, according to the Journal. The company livestreamed President Joe Biden's inauguration in 2021, though it was told by the Biden transition team that it was not accepting any donations from tech companies for its inaugural fund. The Post has sought comment from Amazon and the Trump transition team. Bezos, the Washington Post owner who spiked a planned editorial endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris just days before the Nov. 5 election, is making the trip to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump, who has been a fierce critic of the mogul. Last week, Bezos said that he is "optimistic" about Trump's second term and expressed some excitement about potential regulatory cutbacks in the coming years. "I'm actually very optimistic this time around," Bezos told The New York Times' DealBook Summit in New York. "He seems to have a lot of energy around reducing regulation. If I can help do that, I'm going to help him." "We do have too many regulations in this country," Bezos added. Trump had railed against Bezos and his companies, including Amazon and the Washington Post, during his first term. In 2019, Amazon argued in a court case that Trump's bias against the company harmed its chances of winning a $10 billion Pentagon contract. The Biden administration later pursued a contract with both Amazon and Microsoft. Earlier this week the Journal revealed that Meta, the tech giant run by another former Trump foil, Mark Zuckerberg, also chipped in $1 million to the inaugural fund. Zuckerberg, who Trump suggested should be thrown in prison for a $400 million donation he made to a voting nonprofit in 2020, met with the president-elect last month at Mar-a-Lago. Over dinner, Zuckerberg, who has pledged to remain neutral in his political activities after his social network Facebook limited the sharing of The Post's exclusive reporting on the Hunter Biden laptop in 2020, gifted Trump a pair of Ray Ban smart glasses, according to the Journal. Bezos and Zuckerberg aren't the only tech titans who have made it a point to make nice with Trump in recent months. Apple CEO Tim Cook has managed to establish a rapport with Trump in recent years. The two men have maintained an open channel of communication that has included phone calls as well as meetings over meals. Google CEO Sundar Pichai, whose company has also been accused of putting its thumb on the scale in favor of Democrats, is due to meet with Trump on Thursday. Marc Benioff, co-founder and CEO of Salesforce, praised Trump after the magazine that he owns, TIME, named the president-elect its "Man of the Year" for the second time.

Amazon donates $1m to Trump's inaugural fund as tech cozies up to president-elect

As Trump prepares to enter office for a second time, several tech titans are cozying up in hopes of favorable treatment for their businesses. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is slated to meet with Trump next week. And Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg dined with him at his Mar-a-Lago estate last month. Google CEO Sundar Pichai reportedly had plans to meet with the president-elect this week at his club as well. And Time magazine, which is owned by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, has named Trump its "person of the year". OpenAI's Altman says that Trump will be a leader in technological progress. "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," he said in a written statement to the Guardian. Donations to inaugural committees are fairly standard for big businesses looking to make nice with incoming administrations. Amazon donated $57,746 to Trump's first inaugural fund in 2017, according to OpenSecrets. Google and Microsoft also donated. Meta confirmed to the Guardian that it did not donate that year. For Joe Biden's 2021 inauguration, Amazon said the administration did not accept donations from tech companies, according to the Wall Street Journal. Trump is offering bonus perks to donors who give at least $1m to his inaugural committee, according to the New York Times. Those include several tickets to activities planned around the event, such as dinners with Trump, his cabinet picks and JD Vance. Bezos, who owns the Washington Post, had long been the focus of Trump's ire. The president-elect had blasted the newspaper over its coverage of him, often zeroing in on Bezos for being at fault. At one point in 2018, Trump called the paper "the Amazon Washington Post" and said it had "gone crazy against me". He also alleged the paper lobbied on behalf of Amazon. Those days of conflict may be over. Before the election, the Washington Post broke with longstanding tradition and announced it would not endorse a candidate in the presidential race, a move widely seen as Bezos not wanting to rankle Trump. Bezos defended the decision, saying it was to avoid "a perception of bias". When Trump won the election, Bezos praised him on X. "Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory. No nation has bigger opportunities," Bezos wrote. "Wishing @realDonaldTrump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love." Amazon CEO Andy Jassy also lauded the win on X, saying it was a "hard-fought victory" and that "we look forward to working with you". Amazon's stock has risen 14% since the election. Amazon did not return a request for comment.

Tech moguls Altman, Bezos and Zuckerberg donate to Trump's inauguration fund

From left to right, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Dec. 4 at The New York Times Dealbook Summit; Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Feb. 27 in Tokyo; and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Dec. 4 at The New York Times Dealbook Summit. Eugene Gologursky and JIJI Press/Getty Images hide caption Silicon Valley executives, some who have long had contentious relationships with President-elect Donald Trump, are pledging money and support to Trump's incoming administration. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman intends to make a $1 million personal donation to Trump's inauguration fund, the company confirmed to NPR on Friday. It follows news that Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has already contributed $1 million to the fund. And Amazon has also promised a $1 million infusion into Trump's inauguration coffers. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has an upcoming meeting scheduled with Trump. And Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff recently said of his relationship with Trump, "We are turning the page." Soon after, the publication he owns, Time, declared Trump "Person of Year." Taken together, the donations and other celebratory gestures showcase an industry kissing the ring of an incoming president in hopes of something in return, says Margaret O'Mara, a Silicon Valley historian at the University of Washington. "It's just a recognition that there's not much to be gained in outspoken opposition, but perhaps there is something to be gained by being very clear about your support and hope that Trump does well," she says. To a multi-trillion-dollar company, O'Mara says, a $1 million donation amounts to "a rounding error." But companies are eager for Trump not to regulate sectors like artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, where "many of them have made personal, and as businesses, major investments." Indeed, some of the tech leaders are even signaling their desires. In a statement to NPR, Altman said: "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," he said. For others, it's about patching up a once-rocky relationship. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg -- who once banned Trump from Facebook -- dined with the former president at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida at the end of November. It comes just months after Trump threatened to throw Zuckerberg in prison over Trump's belief that Zuckerberg interfered in the 2020 election by making a significant investment in election infrastructure. In addition to Amazon's committed $1 million to the inauguration fund, the tech giant plans to stream Trump's inauguration in January on its Prime Video platform, The Wall Street Journal first reported. Amazon has not responded to NPR's request for comment. It's not unusual for Silicon Valley companies to support an incoming presidential administration -- but that support is no longer being back-channeled in closed-door meetings and through industry associations. Instead, the University of Washington's O'Mara says tech moguls are leaning into their Trump cheerleading. "And that is something new," she says. It is also an attempt to avoid a repeat of Trump's first term, when tensions between the White House and tech leaders ran high. Back then, Trump frequently rebuked The Washington Post, which is owned by Bezos, for the paper's coverage of his presidency. The conflict escalated in 2019 when the Pentagon awarded a $10 billion contract to Microsoft instead of Amazon. The company later accused Trump of using the military budget to pursue a personal agenda. The dynamic shifted in the 2024 election, when Bezos blocked the Post from endorsing Vice President Harris for president. The move was viewed as an attempt to curry favor with Trump, especially as Bezos' other company, Blue Origin, has a multi-billion dollar contract with NASA. Similarly, Zuckerberg was once known for imposing one of the the harshest penalties a social network has taken against Trump when Facebook banned him days after the Capitol insurrection. The ban lasted two years. But during the 2024 campaign, Zuckerberg seemed to soften his stance -- calling Trump "badass" after the former president survived an attempted assassination attempt. Last month, Zuckerberg met with Trump and other members of his team for dinner, a Meta spokesperson confirmed. The details of their conversation have not been shared, and the spokesperson only disclosed, "It's an important time for the future of American Innovation." Amazon contributed $276,000 to Biden's inauguration fund in 2021 and $58,000 to Trump's in 2017. Biden's inauguration was also streamed on Prime Video. Meanwhile, Facebook reportedly did not contribute to either Biden's 2021 or Trump's 2017 inaugural funds. At the end of the day, O'Mara says, all the powerful tech companies want is to keep growing their size, influence and profits, and executives are hoping Trump will not interfere with the industry's expansion. "The tech industry wants to get the regulatory threat off their backs and [go] back to self-regulating. ... [I]t's how these companies got so big," she says. "I think that's something that they see as being in their interest and the interest of their shareholders."