Zuckerberg paid Trump a million dollars. Before that, their relation was cold

angora24.pl 6 months ago

An unexpected million dollars

According to Wall Street Journal, Meta Platforms company Mark Zuckerberg donated $1 million to the inaugural committee of President-elect Donald Trump. This amount is surprising.

The portal, citing sources acquainted with the situation, reported that the promise of this donation had appeared before Zuckerberg's gathering with Trump at a dinner at Mar-A-Lago in November, following the Republicans' triumph in the presidential election.

In addition, according to the portal, Zuckerberg presented Trump with the latest product of the company – the smart Ray-Ban glasses – and gave them as a gift.

Perceptible trend

“New York Times” notes that donations to the inaugural committees, which are not subject to deposit restrictions, are highly popular among companies and individuals wishing to gain the approval of the fresh administration, which will hold power for the next 4 years.

Donors who pass from $1 to $2 million can participate in 8 events related to the inauguration, including a chamber dinner attended by Trump and his wife Melania. They will besides receive six tickets for the President's swearing-in ceremony before the Capitol on 20 January.

Trump's first inaugural committee raised over $107 million in 2016-2017. The transfer of these funds was investigated by national prosecutors who investigated illegal donations from abroad. The investigation ended with 12 years in prison for 1 of the donors.

Warming the relationship?

Zuckerberg is 1 of many technological bosses who have late tried to establish direct relations with Trump. He was besides contacted by Tim Cook of Apple and Sundar Pichai of Google.

“NYT” notes that the relation between Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, and Trump had previously been strained. The paper recalls that the company blocked Trump on its platforms after the assault on Capitol 6 January 2021, although later his accounts were unlocked. On the another hand, the president-elect had previously expressed criticism of Zuckerberg, claiming that he should be jailed for "spiriting against him" before the 2020 presidential election.

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