Tim Cook, CEO of Apple to personally donate $1 million to Trump inauguration fund

Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, is personally donating $1 million towards United States President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration fund, according to a report by Axios, citing sources. This comes ahead of the billionaire Republican leader's swearing-in on January 20.

Sources told the publication that Alabama native Cook “believes the inauguration is a great American tradition, and is donating to the inauguration in the spirit of unity”. This donation is in a personal capacity and Apple itself is not expected to give any monies, it added.

Cook is not alone in this decision, last week donations from several high-profile names and executives poured in or were promised to the Trump inauguration, it added. He is the latest in a series of prominent tech leaders—such as OpenAI's Sam Altman, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, and Amazon's Jeff Bezos—who have worked to strengthen their relationship with the incoming president following strained ties with Trump during his first term.

As per reports, Meta Platforms and Amazon, both contributed $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund while Bank of America too have have intended to donate, however, their exact amount is not yet known.

Trump and Cook's dinner at Mar-a-lago

On December 13, Trump hosted Cook for evening dinner at the his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, a source told the AP. It was then speculated that the move came as business leaders attempt to establish a positive rapport with Trump after his 2024 US Elections win.

Trump, who is scheduled to assume office on January 20, mentioned in October that he had received a call from Cook regarding concerns about the financial penalties imposed by the European Union (EU) on Apple. According to a AP report, Apple lost its final appeal in a dispute with the EU over 13 billion euros ($14.34 billion) in back taxes owed to Ireland.

Inauguration Day

Meanwhile, as Inauguration Day approaches, Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance prepare for their swearing-in ceremony.

The ceremony will be held at the US Capitol building in Washington, D.C., specifically on the west front of the Capitol. Trump will become the 47th president of the United States, becoming just the second US president in history to be elected to nonconsecutive terms. The president-elect's team is gearing up to host several world leaders at the Capitol in January.

(With inputs from Agencies)