President Donald Trump brought together some of the world’s most influential tech leaders for a private dinner at the White House Rose Garden on Thursday night. The exclusive gathering followed an AI Education Task Force event earlier in the day, led by First Lady Melania Trump.
A Star-Studded Guest List
The dinner featured a lineup of top executives including:
- Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI
- Tim Cook, CEO of Apple
- Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta
- Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google
- Bill Gates, Microsoft cofounder
While Elon Musk skipped the event due to tensions with Trump earlier this year, the White House confirmed a representative attended in his place.
What They Said at the Dinner
Guests reportedly went around the table offering praise to the president for his focus on business, innovation, and American leadership in AI.
- Sam Altman thanked Trump for being “pro-business and pro-innovation,” while highlighting Project Stargate, a $500 billion AI infrastructure initiative backed by OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle. He also noted OpenAI’s $200 million Pentagon contract for defense-related AI tools.
- Mark Zuckerberg sat next to Trump and stressed Meta’s heavy investments in U.S. data centers and digital infrastructure. He thanked the president for creating a climate that encourages innovation.
- Tim Cook applauded Trump’s leadership, linking it to Apple’s pledge to invest $600 billion in U.S. manufacturing. Cook also expressed gratitude for the administration’s support of global innovation and education.
- Sundar Pichai revealed that Google will dedicate $150 million from its $1 billion U.S. education fund to AI-focused training programs.
- Bill Gates emphasized AI’s potential in healthcare, highlighting its role in developing cures for diseases like HIV and sickle cell. Gates thanked Trump for his leadership and called AI a tool that could “change the world,” including giving doctors to underserved regions in Africa and boosting opportunities for farmers and students.
Big Picture
The dinner underscored Trump’s growing influence in shaping America’s tech and AI future. Despite past clashes with some of the executives, the evening was marked by unity, optimism, and shared commitments to AI innovation, education, and U.S. job creation.
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