On Thursday, Microsoft announced its commitment of $1 million to the inauguration fund for President-elect Donald Trump.
The tech giant is now aligning more closely with its esteemed counterparts in the technology sector. Earlier on Thursday, Google revealed its own $1 million contribution to the Trump fund, and Meta had similarly pledged in December. Reports suggested that Amazon is also considering making a comparable donation.
In December, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated his intention to personally contribute $1 million, and Axios reported just last week that Apple CEO Tim Cook would follow suit.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and the wealthiest individual globally, has been guiding Trump as he gears up for a return to the White House post-inauguration this month.
In addition, Microsoft had previously donated $500,000 to Trump’s first inauguration fund and matched that amount for President Joe Biden’s fund, as shared by a Microsoft spokesperson with CNBC.
Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, has met with Trump several times, including discussions regarding a potential acquisition of TikTok in the U.S. back in 2020. Nadella also participated in a Trump-led roundtable of tech leaders from across the country in 2017.
Microsoft anticipates that under Trump, the U.S. will advance artificial intelligence policy in a beneficial manner.
“The United States requires a strategic international approach to swiftly bolster American AI globally,” Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice chair and president, articulated in a blog post last week.
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