'Tim, How Much Money?: Trump Questions Apple CEO On US Investment At White House Dinner

Last Updated:September 05, 2025, 17:36 IST

Present at the dinner were CEOs from major tech firms including Google parent company Alphabet, Apple, Microsoft, and OpenAI

Tim Cook, Chief Executive Officer of Apple, with US President Donald Trump. (AP file photo)

US President Donald Trump grilled Apple CEO Tim Cook over the company’s investment plans in the United States during a high-profile dinner with Silicon Valley leaders at the White House on Thursday.

The exclusive event brought together some of the most influential figures in artificial intelligence and technology. Present at the dinner were CEOs from major firms including Google parent company Alphabet, Apple, Microsoft, and OpenAI. US First Lady Melania Trump also attended the gathering.

During the dinner, Trump directly addressed Cook, saying, “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?"

In front of other tech leaders such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Cook responded, “$600 billion." He also praised Trump for “setting the tone" that encouraged Apple to expand its investments in the US.

“I want to thank you for setting the tone such that we could make a major [$600 billion] investment in the United States," Cook added. “That says a lot about your focus and your leadership and your focus on innovation."

The dinner saw several tech executives praise Trump’s pro-business stance. Zuckerberg, who sat next to the president, remarked, “This is quite a group to get together".

Notably absent was billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who previously supported Trump but has since fallen out with him. Musk confirmed on his social media platform X that although invited, he could not attend and sent a representative in his place.

The companies at the dinner are investing heavily in US data centres and infrastructure to support future innovation. OpenAI’s Sam Altman thanked Trump for being a “pro-business, pro-innovation president" and called the meeting “a refreshing change."

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, seated next to Melania Trump, spoke about the importance of using AI to promote global development, saying it should benefit “the poorest outside the US, as well as to our great citizens."

(With inputs from agencies)

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