Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg dined with United States President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida Wednesday, signalling a possible reconciliation between the two individuals.
According to an advisor to the 78-year-old future president, the 40-year-old tech tycoon "wants to support the national renewal of America", as the nation navigates a shifting political landscape.
Previously, the Republican future president and the owner of the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp have had a tumultuous relationship, particularly Facebook and other social media platforms suspended Trump following his infamous attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
However, on Wednesday, a Meta spokesperson said: "Mark was grateful for the invitation to join President Trump for dinner and the opportunity to meet with members of his team about the incoming Administration."
In a statement, the spokesperson added that it was an important time for the future of American innovation.
It was unclear if Tesla CEO and Trump's new billionaire bestie Elon Musk, who previously challenged Zuckerberg to a cage match fight, also attended the dinner though he has frequently been present at Mar-a-Lago since the election.
Stephen Miller, Trump's incoming deputy chief of staff for policy, told Fox News on Wednesday that Zuckerberg "has been very clear about his desire to be a supporter of, and a participant in, this change that we're seeing all around America."
"He's made clear that he wants to support the national renewal of America under President Trump's leadership," Miller said in a televised interview.
While treading cautiously in Trump's first term, tech titans were quick to laud the Republican's election victory this time, with Zuckerberg among those who offered his congratulations.
Before the election, Zuckerberg stopped election-related philanthropy and Meta modified its algorithms to reduce political content.
Zuckerberg had previously contributed large sums to fund nonprofits working to support US electoral infrastructure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The donations had been seized upon by Trump after his 2020 loss to Joe Biden, falsely alleging that they were part of a plot to swing the election.
