Donald Trump (L) and Apple CEO Tim Cook tour the Flextronics computer manufacturing facility where Apple’s Mac Pros are assembled in Austin, Texas, on 20 November, 2019.
Photo: MANDEL NGAN / AFP
By Nandita Bose and Kanishka Singh, Reuters
Apple chief executive Tim Cook will meet Donald Trump on Friday night (US time) at the US president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Business leaders have attempted to establish a positive rapport with Trump since his election win in November.
Meta Platforms and Amazon have each donated US$1 million (NZ$1.7m) to Trump’s inaugural fund. Bank of America, the second-largest US lender, also plans to contribute to Trump’s inaugural committee but has yet to decide on the amount.
Trump will take office in January. He said in October when he was running for the White House that he received a call from Cook over concerns about the financial penalties that have been imposed by the European Union on the iPhone maker.
European regulators have launched a series of investigations into Big Tech firms in recent years, with the aim of curbing their power and ensuring a level playing field for smaller rivals. A US Justice Department case accuses the iPhone maker of unlawfully dominating the smartphone market.
Trump’s team and Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Trump-Cook meeting was reported earlier by the New York Times.
– Reuters
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