Topline
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-A-Lago residence in Florida Wednesday, as the Facebook founder attempts to mend fences with Trump who previously accused the social media company of trying to censor him and his supporters.
Key Facts
Stephen Miller, who will serve as Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, confirmed reports about the meeting during an appearance on Fox News on Wednesday night.
Miller told Fox News host Brian Kilmeade that Zuckerberg has “made clear that he wants to support the national renewal of America under Trump’s leadership,” and he sees the president-elect as an “agent of change and…prosperity.”
A Meta spokesperson also confirmed the meeting, telling various outlets that Zuckerberg was “grateful for the invitation to join President Trump for dinner and…meet with members of his team about the incoming administration.”
The spokesperson statement didn’t offer any details about what was discussed but added: “It’s an important time for the future of American innovation.”
According to the New York Times, Zuckerberg arrived in West Palm Beach, Florida on Tuesday evening, and during Wednesday’s meeting the two men “largely exchanged pleasantries.”
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Key Background
Trump has had a contentious relationship with Zuckerberg and his social media company, especially after his Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended following the January 6 Capitol riot. Trump reacted angrily to the suspension which he said was “an insult” to Americans who voted for him, and added, “they shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this censoring and silencing, and ultimately, we will win.” Although Trump’s accounts were restored in early 2023, he continued to criticize the company and Zuckerberg. In March, Trump spoke out against a ban on the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok—something he had supported during his first term—and said he considered Facebook a bigger threat and called it “an enemy of the people.” In July, Trump called out the Meta CEO in a Truth Social post where he promised to “pursue Election Fraudsters at levels never seen before, and they will be sent to prison for long periods of time.” Trump ended his post with “ZUCKERBUCKS, be careful!”
Tangent
Despite being a target of Trump’s insults, Zuckerberg praised him in July pointing to his resilience after the first assassination attempt against him earlier that month. At the time, the Meta CEO told Bloomberg that the image of Trump raising his fist after a bullet grazed his ear was “one of the most badass things I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Forbes Valuation
According to our estimates, Zuckerberg’s current net worth is $196.9 billion. This makes the Meta CEO and founder the fourth richest person in the world on Forbes’s Real-Time billionaire’s list.
Mark Zuckerberg Meets With Trump at Mar-a-Lago (New York Times)
Mark Zuckerberg Praises ‘Badass’ Trump Response After Assassination Attempt—But Doesn’t Endorse Him (Forbes)
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