Tech CEOs Lining Up... MS CEO Also Meets with Trump

Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, held a luncheon meeting with Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft (MS), Bloomberg reported on the 15th (local time).

The meeting, held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, was also attended by Vice President-elect JD Vance, Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and co-head of the Government Efficiency Department (DOGE) in the next administration, and Brad Smith, MS Vice Chairman.

President-elect Donald Trump of the United States. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News

At the meeting, CEO Nadella introduced Trump to plans for AI data center investments. MS has decided to invest $80 billion annually in AI data centers worldwide, with $50 billion of that (approximately 73 trillion KRW) to be invested in the United States to create jobs.

With Trump’s inauguration scheduled for the 20th, U.S. tech companies are rushing to build relationships with the incoming administration. They are visiting Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence or making substantial donations to the inauguration ceremony.

MS, Amazon, Meta Platforms, and others each donated $1 million (about 150 million KRW) to Trump’s inauguration. This effort aims to strengthen ties so that key policies, including those on AI, can be advanced in ways favorable to businesses. Bloomberg reported that funds raised for Trump’s inauguration have reached $200 million (about 291.5 billion KRW).

Additionally, Bloomberg reported in a separate article, citing sources, that Apple CEO Tim Cook plans to attend Trump’s inauguration. Cook has maintained a relationship with Trump since his first term, having spoken on the phone and met for meals with the President-elect.

In the IT industry, it has been confirmed that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, and CEO Musk will also attend the inauguration. According to the AP News, Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg is also set to co-host a reception celebrating Trump’s inauguration with major Republican donors.