Trump Hosts Tech Leaders at White House, Musk Left Off Guest List.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday convened a high-profile group of technology executives at the White House, highlighting artificial intelligence research and touting corporate investment in the United States.
Executives from Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI joined the discussions, with OpenAI’s Sam Altman notably present. Absent was Elon Musk, once a close Trump ally who earlier this year had a public falling-out with the President. Musk had previously been tapped to head the Department of Government Efficiency before the relationship soured.
Trump praised those assembled as “brilliant people with a high intelligence quotient,” calling the gathering “a high-IQ group.” He said the executives represented companies driving innovation and pledged support for their business needs, including energy capacity.
The President also pressed leaders on their investment commitments. Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Apple’s Tim Cook each cited figures of around $600 billion, while Google CEO Sundar Pichai pointed to $250 billion and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella estimated $80 billion annually.
The dinner also featured Jared Isaacman, founder of Shift4, once nominated by Trump to lead NASA before the nomination was withdrawn. His presence underscored shifting alliances in Trump’s orbit as he courts new champions in the tech industry.
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