Apple CEO Tim Cook to attend Donald Trump's inauguration
Apple CEO Tim Cook will be among several tech executives attending the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
Here's What We Know
Earlier this month, Cook personally donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund, and when Trump won in November, Tim sent congratulations via the social network X. The CEO also visited Mar-a-Lago in December, where he had dinner with Trump.
Since November, tech CEOs and their companies have been supporting Trump financially and with attention. Google, Amazon, Meta, Uber, OpenAI (Sam Altman), Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Coinbase, Toyota, Ford, GM, ATT, and others have contributed to Trump's inaugural fund, which has raised $200 million.
Trump has made it clear that he plans to introduce new tariffs, and Cook probably wants to avoid them through possible exemptions. During Trump's first term, Apple managed to avoid duties on iPhones, iPads, and Macs, although the company still had to pay duties on Apple Watch, AirPods, and HomePods. In 2019, Trump acknowledged that Cook had "convincingly justified" his position that tariffs could create unfavourable conditions for Apple.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Tesla founder Elon Musk will also attend the inauguration. According to information received from the event organisers, these tech leaders will take pride of place on the platform, along with other important guests, including Trump's Cabinet nominees and elected officials.
Source: Bloomberg