Donald Trump's one 'money question' for Apple’s Tim Cook, Google’s Sundar Pichai, Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and other tech CEOs at White House dinner

US President Donald Trump hosted a high-profile event where he interacted with top tech CEOs. The gathering was attended by Apple CEO Tim Cook, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman among others. Trump reportedly quizzed the tech executives on their investments in the United States.

Trump asks Apple CEO Tim Cook on investment plans

“Tim, how much money will Apple be investing in the United States? I know it's a very large amount. You were elsewhere before, and now you're really coming home in a big way. How much money will you be investing?” Trump asked.To this, CEO Tim Cook responded: “$600 billion.” He then went on to credit Trump for creating conditions for Apple’s growth. Cook said “I want to thank you for setting the tone such that we could make a major investment in the United States... That says a lot about your focus and your leadership and your focus on innovation”.

Trump’s question appeared to reference Apple’s growing presence in India. Earlier this year, he told Cook: “I don’t want you building in India.” The remark came after Apple confirmed plans to expand production outside China.According to reports, Apple is working to assemble about 25% of global iPhones in India in the coming years. The company is expected to invest around $2.5 billion to raise production capacity from over 40 million to about 60 million units annually.

Other tech CEOs face Trump’s investment questions

Trump directed similar questions to other CEOs during the dinner. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg replied, “$600 billion,” when asked about the social media’s investment. Sundar Pichai said Google’s investments were “well north of $100 billion” and would reach $250 billion in the next two years.“That’s great, that’s great. We’re proud of you. Thank you. A lot of jobs, a lot of jobs. Yeah, good,” Trump responded.Microsoft’s Nadella also shared figures, stating: “This year, in the United States, we are close to around $75 to $80 billion.” Trump replied: “Good, very good. Thank you very much.”