Tim Cook Dines with Trump at Mar-a-Lago

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently had dinner with President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort, marking their first in-person meeting since a phone conversation two months prior. This interaction comes as a trend of big tech leaders, including OpenAI's Sam Altman, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, and Amazon's Jeff Bezos, seek to improve relations with Trump following tense interactions during his first term. Trump revealed that he and Cook discussed Apple's ongoing tax disputes with the European Union, particularly a recent $15 billion fine imposed on the company. This meeting follows Apple's loss in an EU tax battle over €13 billion in back taxes to Ireland. Additionally, Altman, Bezos, and Zuckerberg have all committed $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund, reflecting a shift in the tech industry's approach to the incoming administration. Representations from Trump's transition team and Apple did not respond to requests for comment on the dinner.