Tech Titans Warm Up To Donald Trump, Who Says 'Everybody Wants To Be My Friend,' Claims Bill Gates Asked To Come To Mar-a-Lago

Leading CEOs from the tech industry are reportedly courting favor with President-elect Donald Trump, indicating a significant change in corporate America’s approach towards his upcoming term.

What Happened: High-profile business leaders have been visiting Trump at his Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago, marking a stark contrast to the reception he received following his 2016 election victory.

Among the attendees were Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Apple’s Tim Cook, Google’s Sundar Pichai, and TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew. Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg had a meeting with Trump last month.

Trump, who secured his election victory with 49.8 percent of the vote, shared his enthusiasm on Truth Social, saying that “EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND!!!”

He also observed a marked shift in attitude compared to his first term, noting that there seems to be a greater willingness to cooperate this time around.

Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates is also said to have requested a visit.

Also Read: Why Trump Wants Debt Ceiling Killed Before He Takes Office

In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump said that Gates had asked to come to Mar-a-Lago. The 78-year-old Republican encouraged him to visit.

"Where are you? When are you coming to the ‘Center of the Universe,' Mar-a-Lago. Bill Gates asked to come, tonight. We miss you and x! New Year's Eve is going to be AMAZING!!!" Trump wrote. He signed it "DJT."

Why It Matters: This change in corporate America’s stance towards Trump could be motivated by a desire for influence or a fear of potential backlash.

Major corporations such as Amazon, Meta, OpenAI, and Perplexity have pledged to donate $1 million each to Trump’s inaugural fund.

This shift underlines the importance of political engagement for these tech giants, who are likely seeking to ensure their interests are represented in the upcoming administration.

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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.