In a recent post on Truth Social, President-elect Donald Trump revealed that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has requested to meet with him at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Trump wrote, “Where are you? When are you coming to the ‘Center of the Universe,’ Mar-a-Lago. Bill Gates asked to come, tonight. We miss you and x! New Year’s Eve is going to be AMAZING!!! DJT.”
This request comes amid a series of meetings between Trump and various tech executives in the lead-up to his January inauguration. Some of these executives have contributed to Trump’s inaugural fund. For example, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos met with Trump before Christmas and donated $1 million to the fund through his company. Bezos, accompanied by his fiancée Lauren Sanchez, also confirmed that Amazon will be streaming the inauguration, which will contribute an additional $1 million in-kind donation.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew has also met with Trump as his company faces a potential ban in the U.S., and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg held a private meeting with Trump in late November, following which Zuckerberg’s company donated $1 million to the inaugural fund.
While Gates made a significant donation to Vice President Kamala Harris’ PAC for the 2024 election, he publicly congratulated Trump on his victory in November. “Congratulations to President Trump and VP-elect Vance. America is at its strongest when we use ingenuity and innovation to improve lives here in the U.S. and around the world. I hope we can work together now to build a brighter future for everyone,” Gates said, signaling a potential future collaboration.
