‘In the spirit of unity’: Apple CEO Tim Cook to reportedly donate $1M to Trump’s inauguration fund

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, is personally donating $1 million to the inauguration fund of United States President-elect Donald Trump, according to a report by Axios. The Republican leader is set to be sworn in on 20 January.

Axios, citing sources, reported that Cook sees the inauguration as a key American tradition and is contributing "in the spirit of unity." The donation is being made in a personal capacity, with Apple itself not expected to provide any financial support.

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Cook’s contribution is part of a wider trend of many financial donations and support for Trump’s inaugural committee. Companies like Amazon, OpenAI have also made contributions.

Automotive sector, Wall Street and cryptocurrency platforms among major donors

In addition to tech leaders, the automotive sector has shown significant support, with Toyota pledging $1 million. This comes after similar donations from Ford and General Motors. Wall Street has also joined in, with firms like Goldman Sachs and Bank of America among the major donors. Cryptocurrency platforms such as Kraken and Coinbase have also made notable donations.

Trump- Cook meeting at Mar-a-Lago

On 13 December, Donald Trump hosted Tim Cook for dinner at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, as reported by the Associated Press.

Trump had mentioned in October last year that Cook had reached out to him regarding concerns over Apple’s legal and financial challenges in Europe. Apple recently lost its final appeal in a European Union dispute, resulting in the company owing €13 billion ($14.34 billion) in back taxes to Ireland.

(With inputs from agencies)