When Spotify CEO Daniel Ek spoke with Trump, he came prepared, sharing statistics about how well his podcast interview with Joe Rogan performed on the streaming platform, a subtle way to stroke Trump’s ego. Ek is one of at least 10 CEOs who have spoken with Trump or met with him in person since the election, often bringing along a $1 million check for his inauguration.
The CEOs, including Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Google’s Sundar Pichai, Alphabet’s Sergey Brin, Apple’s Tim Cook, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, are seeking to get a seat at the table with a president-elect who has the power to shape policies that can significantly affect their bottom lines.
The strongest example of this power was seen this week when Elon Musk led the charge to tank a government funding deal, plunging Congress into a last-minute scramble that narrowly averted a shutdown.
Trump’s election has vaulted Musk to the upper echelons of US political power, and he is part of Trump’s inner circle for key decisions. He has been appointed, along with Vivek Ramaswamy, to lead a newly created Department of Government Efficiency.
Other CEOs, such as Bezos, have a more complicated history with Trump. Bezos has an icy history with Trump, who has criticized him over his purchase of The Washington Post and the newspaper’s critical coverage of him. However, Bezos is now approaching Trump very differently, even congratulating him on his win. “Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory,” Bezos posted on X. “Wishing [Donald Trump] all success in leading and unifying the America we all love.”
Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, who has faced criticism for his company’s role in the 2020 election, has also reached out to Trump. During his dinner at Mar-a-Lago, he showed Trump a pair of Meta’s Ray-Ban sunglasses and then gave the glasses to the president-elect.
The CEOs are citing issues they know Trump will like, such as bringing manufacturing and jobs back to the US, while also sneaking in potential policy concerns they have with his new administration. Many of these CEOs are seeking the meetings as an opportunity to “start on the right page,” according to sources familiar with the matter.