Zuckerberg hands Trump $1 million

Meta has donated the money to the US president-elect’s inauguration fund in what appears to be a push for more positive relations

Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, has donated $1 million to the inauguration fund of US President-elect Donald Trump, a company spokesperson has confirmed.

The contribution is being seen as part of a move by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to improve his historically tense relationship with the incoming Republican.

The move marks a new departure for the tech giant, which did not make any such contributions during the previous two US presidencies.

Trump and Zuckerberg had dinner at the Mar-a-Lago resort last week. In a recent press call, Meta’s president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, said Zuckerberg wanted to take an “active role” in the US administration’s tech policy decisions. The CEO intends to engage in the debate around maintaining America’s leadership in technology, especially regarding artificial intelligence, Clegg said.

Trump used Facebook and Instagram platforms extensively during his first term in office, until his accounts were suspended following the January 6 riot at the US Capitol in 2021 due to concerns that he would incite further violence by denying Biden’s election victory.

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While Trump’s accounts were reinstated in 2023, he has continued to express frustration with Zuckerberg. In March, he referred to Meta as the “enemy of the people,” later suggesting the tech mogul should be jailed for alleged election interference.

In an attempt to repair the relationship and position himself more closely to the incoming Trump administration, Zuckerberg has publicly praised the president-elect’s “badass” reaction to an attempted assassination at a Pennsylvania rally in July. Zuckerberg also called Trump this summer to apologize for incorrectly labeling photos of him with a fact check.

There are no limits on donations to Trump’s committee. It is structured as a political nonprofit for tax purposes. However, contributions over $200 must be disclosed to the Federal Election Commission. Trump’s first inauguration committee raised $107 million in 2016 and 2017.