Apple CEO Tim Cook has joined the growing list of tech executives contributing to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration committee, reportedly donating $1 million, according to Axios. Cook’s donation follows similar contributions from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos via Amazon, and Meta, as Big Tech leaders seek to build ties with the incoming administration.
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Cook’s relationship with Trump is well-documented. During Trump’s first term, Cook cultivated a personal connection with the president, a strategy that many tech leaders now appear eager to emulate. He was among the first to congratulate Trump after his Election Day victory, and Axios notes that Cook has met with Trump at both Trump Tower in New York and Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
Notably, Elon Musk, another prominent figure in tech, briefly joined Cook at a dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, according to Axios. The meeting underscores the increasingly direct engagement between tech leaders and Trump’s circle ahead of his second term.
Sources cited by Axios suggest Cook views the inauguration as a unifying American tradition, reflecting his pride as an Alabama native. They emphasized that Cook’s contribution comes from him personally, not from Apple, which is “not expected” to donate. Apple has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Cook’s donation highlights the efforts of Silicon Valley executives to navigate the political landscape as Trump prepares to take office again.
