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highplainsdem

(56,144 posts)
Tue May 13, 2025, 09:16 AM May 13

Elon Musk, Sam Altman and Other C.E.O.s Join Trump at U.S.-Saudi Lunch

Source: NYT

Joining President Trump and top U.S. and Saudi officials for lunch in Riyadh on Tuesday are dozens of business leaders from some of America’s largest companies.

The executives — from tech firms, banks, consumer groups and other industries, including representatives of four of the 10 biggest U.S. companies by market value — may be there to pitch for business from deep-pocketed Saudi investors, businesses and government departments. Their companies are also dealing with the tariffs imposed by Mr. Trump on U.S. trading partners, so the trip is an opportunity to lobby top Trump officials, such as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, on trade policy.

Saudi Arabia has emerged as one of the world’s largest investors in artificial intelligence, an effort to diversify the oil-rich nation’s economy and give it influence over one of the hottest sectors in the business world. Notable A.I. players at the lunch include Sam Altman, the chief executive of ChatGPT parent OpenAI; Jensen Huang, the leader of the advanced chipmaker Nvidia; Ruth Porat, the chief investment officer of Alphabet, Google’s parent company; and Andy Jassy, the chief of Amazon, which is a major provider of cloud-computing services.

There is also Elon Musk, who, in addition to overseeing Mr. Trump’s effort to slash the size of the federal government, also runs Tesla, SpaceX and his own A.I. company called xAI, which is in talks for new financing that could value the firm at as much as $120 billion.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/us/politics/trump-saudi-business-lunch-musk-altman.html

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Bernardo de La Paz

(55,994 posts)
2. Saudi A is wanting to pivot to less resource based, more tech based. Aiming to host data centres, probably. . . . nt
Tue May 13, 2025, 09:23 AM
May 13

Jilly_in_VA

(11,970 posts)
3. Can we just take them all out into the desert and drop them off?
Tue May 13, 2025, 09:34 AM
May 13

Leave them there? The world would be a far better place without this bunch.

Lonestarblue

(12,630 posts)
6. This trip at taxpayer expense is about business deals for billionaires.
Tue May 13, 2025, 10:04 AM
May 13

It is not about anything to benefit we taxpayers funding Trump’s prospecting for business but all about increasing Trump Organization profits.

turbinetree

(26,120 posts)
9. Yepper...............and this ripoff costs would help seniors on Medicaid and snap, meals on wheels...........
Tue May 13, 2025, 11:53 AM
May 13

what are we missing..............

nuxvomica

(13,330 posts)
5. Reid Hoffman of LinkedIn is there
Tue May 13, 2025, 10:02 AM
May 13

He's been critical of Trump. I'm wondering if he's turned. Also there is Patrick Soon-Shiong, the guy who ruined the LA Times.

bsiebs

(836 posts)
10. 32 individuals the White House said joined Trump's lunch with Saudi officials...
Tue May 13, 2025, 12:31 PM
May 13

Source: https://thehill.com/business/5297272-trump-business-leaders-saudi-investment/

Elon Musk: The Tesla and SpaceX CEO and top Trump adviser joined Trump for the lunch. Musk has led the Trump administration’s efforts to slash the size and scope of the federal government.

Stephen Schwarzman: Schwarzman is the CEO of the Blackstone Group, a private equity firm. He has backed Trump politically and is a major GOP donor.

Larry Fink: Fink is the CEO of BlackRock, a major money management firm that has previously come under scrutiny from conservatives over its emphasis on Environment Social and Government (ESG) commitments, which takes into account factors like the environment and social issues.

Reid Hoffman: Hoffman is the cofounder of LinkedIn. He supported former Vice President Harris in the 2024 election.

Ben Horowitz: Horowitz is a co-founder of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, a major player in Silicon Valley.

Sam Altman: Altman is the CEO of OpenAI, which has been at the center of debates over artificial intelligence.

Jenny Johnson: Johnson is the CEO of Franklin Templeton Investment, a California-based firm.

Arvind Krishna: Krishna is the CEO of IBM.

Jane Fraser: Fraser is the CEO of CitiGroup, the investment and banking company.

Michael O’Grady: O’Grady is the CEO of wealth management company Northern Trust.

Kelly Ortberg: Ortberg is the CEO of Boeing, the aviation giant that has faced criticism from Trump at times over its delivery of a new Air Force One.

Ruth Porat: Porat is the CIO of Google. A federal judge ruled last month that Google has an illegal monopoly over advertising technology.

Andy Jassy: Jassy is the CEO of Amazon, the e-commerce giant run by Jeff Bezos, who has become friendlier with Trump during his second term.

Jensen Huang: Huang is the CEO of Nvidia, an AI chipmaker that has pledged to invest in the United States.

Alex Karp: Karp is the CEO of Palantir, a Colorado-based software company.

Lorenzo Simonelli: Simonelli is the CEO of Baker Hughes, an energy company that specializes in liquified natural gas.

Jeff Miller: Miller is the CEO of Haliburton, an oil service company.

Olivier Le Peuch: Le Peuch is the CEO of Schlumberger, an oilfield services company.

Dina Powell: Powell is a vice chairman of BDT & MSD Partners, a merchant bank. She served in Trump’s first administration and is married to Sen. David McCormick (R-Pa.).

Ray Dalio: Dalio is a billionaire who founded Bridgewater Associates.

Marcelo Claure: Claure is an entrepreneur who currently works with fast fashion company Shein.

Travis Kalanick: Kalanick is an entrepreneur who founded Uber.

Neil Blue: Blue is a billionaire who serves as chairman of General Atomics.

Jon Ballis: Ballis is the services chairman of Kirkland & Ellis, a major law firm.

Jake Silverstein: Silverstein is the CEO of Enfield Investment Partners.

Tim Sweeney: Sweeney is the CEO of Epic Games.

Kathy Warden: Warden is is the CEO of the aerospace and defense company Northrup Grumman.

James Quincey: Quincey is the CEO of Coca-Cola.

Dara Khosrowshahi: Khosrowshahi is the CEO of Uber.

Francis Suarez: Suarez is the mayor of Miami. He ran an unsuccessful presidential campaign in the 2024 GOP primary.

William Oplinger: Oplinger is the CEO of Alcola, one of the world’s largest aluminum producers.

William Meaney: Meaney is CEO of Iron Mountain, an information management company.

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