Washington, Dec 12 (FN Agency) Meta has confirmed a USD 1 million donation to US President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, signaling a significant shift in CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s approach to the incoming administration, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The donation is a notable departure from Zuckerberg’s previous stance, especially considering his contentious relationship with Trump during the election campaign. Trump had previously threatened to retaliate against tech giants he perceived as undermining his campaign. The paper also reported that as Republicans prepared to take control of both the White House and Congress, tech CEOs were recalibrating their strategies in anticipation of new regulations that could impact their businesses. However, Zuckerberg’s outreach to Trump was not an isolated incident.
The report also noted that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who had been critical of Trump in the past, recently congratulated him on his victory and expressed optimism about the new administration. The report said Zuckerberg’s efforts to forge a stronger connection with Trump included a private dinner at Mar-a-Lago. During the two-day event, Meta’s senior policy executives engaged with key figures in Trump’s administration, including his nominee for secretary of state, Senator Marco Rubio. Zuckerberg has maintained a relatively neutral stance on political donations, contributing to candidates from both parties without heavily engaging in presidential races. Notably, Meta did not donate to Trump’s inaugural fund in 2017 or US President Joe Biden’s fund in 2021. The tech industry has often found itself at odds with Republican leadership, particularly under Trump’s administration, which frequently criticised social media platforms for perceived bias against conservative viewpoints.