Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressed a hot mic exchange with President Donald Trump, saying the company may exceed its $600 billion U.S. investment pledge through 2028 after their White House dinner conversation went viral.
Zuckerberg's $600 Billion Pledge To Trump
Last week, at the high-profile White House dinner attended by nearly three dozen tech leaders, Trump pressed executives to outline their U.S. spending commitments.
When he turned to Zuckerberg, the Meta chief replied, "probably going to be something like, I don't know, at least $600 billion through [20]28 in the U.S."
Trump nodded approvingly, calling it "a lot" and thanking Zuckerberg for the commitment.
Later, a hot mic captured Zuckerberg apologizing to the president. "Sorry, I wasn't ready … I wasn't sure what number you wanted to go with."
The clip quickly spread online.
Zuckerberg Responds To Hot Mic Moment
In a post on Threads, Zuckerberg said the exchange was misinterpreted.
"It's quite possible we'll invest even more," he wrote. "I wasn't sure which number he was asking about, so I just shared the lower number through '28 and clarified with him afterwards."
From Tensions To Reconciliation
The exchange marked a dramatic turnaround in Zuckerberg's relationship with Trump.
Just a year ago, Trump publicly threatened the Meta CEO with imprisonment over content moderation practices.
Since then, Zuckerberg has shifted strategy — donating $1 million to Trump's inauguration, settling a four-year-old lawsuit for $25 million, renouncing DEI initiatives and adding a pro-Trump voice to Meta's board.
Trump himself revealed that Zuckerberg personally called after last year's assassination attempt to express respect and indicated he would not endorse a Democrat in the 2024 election.
Big Tech Aligns With Trump's Agenda
Zuckerberg was not the only executive pressed for numbers.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook reiterated a $600 billion investment, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) CEO Sundar Pichai pledged $250 billion over two years and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella estimated $75–80 billion for 2025.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman promised "a ton" of spending in the U.S., while Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) CEO Lisa Su thanked Trump for supporting AI.
Trump used the event to highlight his business-friendly policies, pledging to ease regulations around energy capacity and permitting.
Price Action: Meta's stock has gained 3.57% over the past five days but is down 1.77% in the last month, according to Benzinga Pro.
Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings indicate that META maintains a strong upward trend across short, medium and long-term periods. Additional performance details can be found here.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Frederic Legrand – COMEO / Shutterstock.com
