Caught on camera: Mark Zuckerberg tells Donald Trump, 'I'm sorry I wasn't ...'

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and Meta CEO, had a 'hot drop' moment at the recent White House dinner for tech CEOs hosted by Donald Trump. When CEOs of America's biggest technology companies visit Washington, D.C., they often talk about even investments. This practice, intended to build good will with leaders, was on full display last week as several Silicon Valley leaders dined with the President Donald Trump.The dinner also saw a 'hot mic' when Mark Zuckerberg was caught unaware by an investment question from President Trump. During the White House dinner, President Trump turned to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who was sitting next to him, and asked, "How much are you spending... over the next few years?"A visibly flustered Zuckerberg fumbled for an answer. “Oh gosh, um, I mean, I think it's probably going to be something like, at least $600 billion through 2028 in the US, yeah.” The number seemed to be a direct response to Apple's recent announcement of a $600 billion investment. "That's a lot, that's a lot," Trump said.After the conversation, a hot mic picked up an admission from Zuckerberg to the president: "I'm sorry I wasn't ready... I wasn't sure what number you wanted to go with."

Mark Zuckerberg's big number challenge

To hit a $600 billion target by 2028, Meta would have to dramatically increase its spending. The company's own estimates for its 2025 total expenses are between $114 and $118 billion.

Donald Trump's 'money question' to all tech CEOs

Zuckerberg wasn't the only one quizzed. Google CEO Sundar Pichai said his company was "well north of $100 billion" and would grow to $250 billion in the next two years. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated they are near $80 billion per year in the US.These vast sums are primarily slated for building out data centers and infrastructure to power the next wave of innovation, especially in AI.