Billionaire Bill Gates recently shared a rare glimpse into his private conversation with President-elect Donald Trump and a nearly three-hour dinner that left him “impressed.” Gates, who supported Vice President Harris in the 2024 election, seemed to leave the dinner with a sense of optimism about the president-elect.
“About two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to have a long and quite intriguing dinner with him,” Gates told The Wall Street Journal.
In his interview, Gates detailed the “wide-ranging” dinner conversation, mentioning that he discussed public health, which has been a major focus of Gates’ philanthropic efforts.
“I felt like he was energized and eager to contribute to innovation,” Gates told WSJ. “I was genuinely impressed with how well he demonstrated a keen interest in the issues I raised.”
Gates’ dinner with Trump coincides with a growing number of billionaires and tech leaders flocking to meet with the president-elect before his historic return to the White House. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago and pledged $1 million to the president-elect’s inaugural fund. Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Platforms also contributed $1 million to the fund.
According to people familiar with the discussion, WSJ reported that Zuckerberg’s pledge of $1 million came before he met with Trump at a November Mar-a-Lago dinner following the Republican’s presidential victory.
At the dinner, according to the outlet, Zuckerberg showcased the company’s latest invention, Ray Ban Smart Glasses, and presented them to Trump.
Bezos, who also made the journey to Trump’s Florida estate, expressed optimism about the incoming administration. He also dismissed concerns about Trump’s relationship with Elon Musk.
“Elon has consistently stated that his actions are driven by the public interest rather than personal gain. I trust his intentions,” Bezos told Reuters, referring to the SpaceX CEO.
Trump’s relationship with billionaires and tech moguls has undergone a significant transformation since 2020, when he faced restrictions on several social media platforms. In October, it was reported that Gates had privately disclosed that he had donated approximately $50 million to a nonprofit organization that supports Vice President Harris.
FoxNews
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