Trump to host CEO tech dinner in newly renovated White House Rose Garden
US President Donald Trump will host more than two dozen technology and business leaders on Thursday for a dinner in the newly renovated White House Rose Garden, according to a White House official.
The guests include Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, the official said.
The gathering highlights Trump’s complicated but evolving relationship with Silicon Valley and the broader tech industry.
"The president looks forward to welcoming top business, political, and tech leaders for this dinner and the many dinners to come on the new, beautiful Rose Garden patio," White House spokesman Davis Ingle said.
Elon Musk, the Tesla and SpaceX chief who served as a Trump adviser before a public split earlier this year, was not on the invite list, the official confirmed.
On Thursday, Musk posted on his social media platform X that he "was invited, but unfortunately could not attend. A representative of mine will be there."
I was invited, but unfortunately could not attend. A representative of mine will be there.
undefined Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 4, 2025
Once a source of frequent clashes over issues such as content moderation and antitrust scrutiny, the tech sector has recalibrated since Trump’s 2024 election victory.
Executives have sought closer ties with the Republican administration, aligning corporate policies with the White House's push to roll back diversity and equity initiatives while courting Trump's favor on artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
The Hill news outlet first reported the event.
The Rose Garden renovation, completed in August, replaced the iconic grass lawn with a stone patio and umbrella-covered tables modeled after Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
The gathering there is set to take place after CEOs and tech leaders attend a White House event on AI hosted by first lady Melania Trump.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar, Meta's chief AI officer Alexandr Wang and AMD CEO Lisa Su are also expected.
