Top executives from the world’s biggest companies, including Apple, Google, Meta, and Amazon, have flocked to meet with President-elect Donald Trump in what some are calling a coordinated effort to ensure favorable relations with the incoming administration.
This wave of high-profile visits, donations, and public endorsements has earned the week the nickname, “The Week CEOs Bent the Knee to Trump,” as coined by The Wall Street Journal.
Apple CEO Tim Cook joined Trump for a dinner at Mar-a-Lago last night, capping a week of meetings that included Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is set to meet with Trump next week. The string of engagements comes as several tech and financial firms, including OpenAI, Amazon, Meta, and others, each contributed $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund.
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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed his support in a statement, saying, “President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead.”
The meetings coincide with a rally in financial markets, with what analysts are calling the “Trump trade” driving bullish sentiment across stocks, cryptocurrencies, and tech investments. Trump rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange earlier this week, where he was greeted with applause from Wall Street heavyweights beneath a giant portrait of himself as TIME Magazine’s “Person of the Year.”
“Markets are clearly signaling optimism about Trump’s pro-business policies, and CEOs are making sure they’re not left out of the conversation,” said financial analyst Kevin Draper.
The sudden alignment between corporate leaders and Trump marks a sharp turnaround, particularly among tech executives who previously kept their distance during the campaign. According to The Wall Street Journal, CEOs aren’t “leaving anything to chance” as they seek to ensure that Trump’s policy agenda aligns with their industry priorities.
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During Trump’s visit to the New York Stock Exchange, dozens of senior executives gathered to show their support. Representatives from Visa, Goldman Sachs, Charles Schwab, and Citadel were seen mingling with high-profile figures like real estate mogul Robert Bigelow and investor Bill Ackman.
Real-estate magnate and Trump ally Bill Ackman was among the most enthusiastic supporters, calling the president-elect’s vision for the economy “a game-changer.”
Notably, several tech executives who had previously been vocal critics of Trump’s policies have now stepped forward with donations and endorsements. According to reporting from The New York Times, this pivot reflects a strategic effort to ensure their companies are well-positioned under a Trump administration.
“This week has shown that even the most progressive leaders in Silicon Valley recognize the need to engage with Trump’s agenda,” said Teddy Schleifer, a tech journalist.
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With Trump’s pro-business stance and promises to focus on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, the meetings signal a potential shift in regulatory and policy approaches to favor innovation and investment. However, critics warn that this corporate coziness with the incoming administration could raise concerns about the balance of power between private companies and public interests.
As Trump continues to build momentum ahead of his inauguration, the message from corporate America is clear: they’re ready to work with him—and perhaps just as importantly, ensure that he works for them.
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