West Palm Beach, Fla. — Former President Donald Trump hosted a private dinner with Apple CEO Tim Cook on Friday night at the Mar-a-Lago resort, according to sources familiar with the event.
Tim Cook joins a prominent list of tech leaders, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, who have engaged with Trump after years of strained relations during his first term as president. The gathering was held at the resort, a favored location for high-profile meetings with political and business leaders.
The meeting comes on the heels of discussions between Trump and Cook regarding Apple’s ongoing tax disputes with the European Union. Less than two months ago, Trump shared details about a phone conversation with Cook, referencing Apple’s legal challenges.
In October, Trump highlighted his discussion with Cook during an interview with podcaster Patrick Bet-David. “He [Cook] said the European Union has just fined us $15 billion,” Trump said. “Then, on top of that, they got fined another $2 billion.”
The EU’s highest court recently dismissed Apple’s appeal in a €13 billion ($14.34 billion) tax case involving Ireland. The dispute stemmed from allegations that Ireland provided Apple with unlawful tax advantages to attract multinational corporations. Trump, often seen using Mar-a-Lago as a hub for critical conversations, has shown a keen interest in global business matters.
Despite the controversy surrounding Apple’s EU tax issues, Cook’s meeting with Trump reflects ongoing efforts to address political and business challenges. The meeting at Mar-a-Lago underscores the resort’s role as a venue for important discussions.
Neither Trump’s team nor Apple has provided comments on the private dinner at the resort.
