White House · Anthropic · Microsoft · OpenAI · Apple · Donald Trump · CNBC Technology
Trump’s AI lunch included every major tech firm
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When President Donald Trump gathered execs from the world's most powerful tech companies in the White House on Tuesday to discuss the future of artificial intelligence, one company was conspicuously absent: Apple.
Key facts
- Altimeter Capital CEO Brad Gerstner, a powerhouse investor in Silicon Valley and a Trump ally in the second term, called Apple's absence a " nothing burger " int an interview with CNBC's "Squawk Box
- Apple's stock is up 22.5% so far in 2026, outpacing the Nasdaq and almost all of its megacap peers other than Nvidia, which is up about the same amount
- Neither Chairman Tim Cook nor his successor as CEO, John Ternus, were present, while leaders from every other tech megacap, and many other companies, lunched with Trump
- Apple didn't respond to CNBC's questions about the meeting, nor did the White House
Summary
Neither Chairman Tim Cook nor his successor as CEO, John Ternus, were present, while leaders from every other tech megacap, and many other companies, lunched with Trump. Apple didn't respond to CNBC's questions about the meeting, nor did the White House. Social media buzzed with conjecture that Apple wasn't invited because the company is behind on AI. Altimeter Capital CEO Brad Gerstner, a powerhouse investor in Silicon Valley and a Trump ally in the second term, called Apple's absence a " nothing burger " int an interview with CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Wednesday.