Apple CEO Tim Cook to donate $1 million to Donald Trump’s inauguration fund: Report
Apple CEO Tim Cook will donate $1 million from his wealth to US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration fund ahead of his swearing-in on January 20, reported Axios.
Tim Cook’s decision to donate follows several high-profile financial donations and other contributions to Donald Trump’s inaugural committee. Among them are Amazon, Open AI, Toyota Motor of North America and crypto companies Kraken, Ripple, and Ondo.
The report notes that Cook believes the inauguration is a great American tradition and is donating to the “spirit of unity.” Apple, the biggest US taxpayer, is not expected to donate as a company.
Apple to settle lawsuit
Tim Cook’s move to donate comes after Apple agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the company of using its virtual assistant Siri to eavesdrop on people using its iPhone and other devices.
The five-year-old lawsuit claimed that Apple secretively activated Siri to record conversations for over a decade. The company, whose CEO Tim Cook describes privacy as “a fundamental human right”, has not acknowledged any wrongdoing in its settlement.
If approved by a California federal court, the settlement could enable millions of Apple customers to file claims for up to $20 per device covered by the proposal. News agency AP reported, citing court documents, that only 3% to 5% of eligible consumers are expected to file claims.
Other high-profile donations
Toyota Motor of North America is donating $1 million, following similar contributions from Ford Motor and General Motors. The American automakers are also contributing vehicles to the event.
Retail trading platform Robinhood Markets donated $2 million.
Uber Technologies and its CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, donated $1 million each.
Amazon will donate $1 million, and also live stream the event on its OTT platform Prime Video.
Ken Griffin, the founder of Citadel LLC hedge fund, also plans to donate $1 million. Griffin did not donate to Trump’s presidential campaign ahead of the election.