Apple CEO Tim Cook has promised to donate $1 million from his personal wealth to support the inauguration fund of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump ahead of his swearing-in on January 20, according to a report by Axios. Cook’s donation is part of contributions from other prominent figures and companies to the inauguration committee, including Amazon, Open AI, Toyota Motor of North America, and crypto firms Kraken, Ripple, and Ondo.
Cook said he considers the inauguration to be an important American tradition and is giving to the “spirit of unity.” Apple, though, as a company, is not donating; the company is actually the largest U.S. taxpayer.
In related news, Cook’s donation comes barely a month after Apple settled for $95 million in a class-action lawsuit alleging that the tech company had used its virtual assistant Siri to secretly record users. The case argued that the tech company secretly turned on Siri and recorded conversations of users for more than ten years. The company has not admitted wrongdoing, but the settlement could let millions of Apple customers file claims for up to $20 per device, pending approval by a California federal court. Only a small percentage of eligible consumers are expected to make claims, according to court documents.
Other Major Donations
Other corporations and high-profile individuals have also made significant contributions to Trump’s inauguration fund. Toyota Motor of North America pledged $1 million, joining Ford Motor and General Motors, who are also providing vehicles for the event.
Retail trading platform Robinhood Markets gave $2 million, and the ride-hailing company Uber Technologies, along with its CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, also pledged $1 million. The e-commerce giant Amazon will contribute $1 million, and broadcast the inauguration on its over-the-top service, Prime Video.
Another big name who will donate $1 million is Ken Griffin, founder of Citadel LLC hedge fund, though he had not donated to Trump’s presidential campaign prior to the election.
