tim cook, sam altman, and more attend trump’s uk state banquet

Tech Executives Featured at Presidential Banquet in the U.K.

Prominent figures from the technology sector were among the attendees at a banquet hosted for President Trump during his recent state visit to the United Kingdom on Wednesday.

Key Tech Leaders in Attendance

According to reports from The New York Times, the guest list included Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Apple CEO Tim Cook, venture capitalist and White House advisor David Sacks, Alphabet and Google president Ruth Porat, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman.

U.S.-U.K. Tech Collaboration

The United States and the United Kingdom formalized a new partnership on Thursday, known as the Tech Prosperity Deal.

This agreement will prioritize the advancement of technologies in areas such as nuclear power, AI, and quantum computing.

Significant Investment in U.K. Infrastructure

Several major tech companies, including Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, and OpenAI, have announced plans to establish data centers within the U.K. this week.

Furthermore, CoreWeave and Salesforce have committed to a multibillion-pound investment within the country.

Collectively, American technology firms have pledged a total of £31 billion (approximately $42 billion) to enhance AI infrastructure in the U.K.

Shifting Priorities and the Rise of Tech Influence

The composition of the guest list at this state banquet notably featured a greater number of technology and business leaders compared to the typical presence of Hollywood personalities.

This shift underscores the evolving economic priorities of both the U.K. and the U.S. in the current era of AI advancement.

It also highlights the increasing importance of technology and its leaders within President Trump’s administration.

Throughout the past year, numerous large technology companies, such as OpenAI, Google, and Apple, have expressed their commitment to collaborating with the government.

This collaboration encompasses providing AI-powered tools for government services and developing digital health ecosystems for the U.S. healthcare industry.

President Trump’s Focus on the Tech Sector

President Trump has demonstrated a heightened focus on the technology sector.

This includes voicing criticism of Tim Cook regarding Apple’s supply chain practices, issuing an executive order addressing “anti-woke” AI policies, and directing the attorney general to investigate companies receiving federal funding that employ DEI programs considered “illegal.”

Previous Tech Industry Engagements

Tech leaders including Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos were present at the president’s inauguration earlier this year.

In early September, President Trump hosted a dinner for 33 top executives from Silicon Valley, featuring attendees like Altman, Cook, and Zuckerberg.

Notably absent from both the inauguration and the dinner was Elon Musk, a former senior advisor to the president.