President Donald Trump will host an exclusive dinner for prominent technology executives at the White House today, spotlighting advancements in artificial intelligence and education. The event, held in the newly redesigned Rose Garden, marks a significant moment for tech-policy collaboration but notably excludes Elon Musk, signaling a deepening divide between the president and the Tesla CEO. The dinner follows a meeting of the Artificial Intelligence Education Task Force, led by First Lady Melania Trump, focused on integrating AI into American classrooms.
Elon Musk, once a key figure in Trump's inner circle and former head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is absent from the guest list following a public fallout earlier this year. Tensions escalated after Trump revoked the NASA leadership nomination of Jared Isaacman, a Musk associate, labeling him a "Democrat." The rift, further fueled by policy disagreements, has left Musk on the sidelines of this high-profile gathering, a stark contrast to his previous influence during Trump’s 2024 campaign.
Who will be attending the event?
The White House has confirmed an impressive roster of attendees, representing the pinnacle of AI and tech innovation:
Microsoft: Co-founder Bill Gates and CEO Satya Nadella
Apple: CEO Tim Cook
Meta: CEO Mark Zuckerberg
Google/Alphabet: Founder Sergey Brin and CEO Sundar Pichai
OpenAI: CEO Sam Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman
Oracle: CEO Safra Catz
Blue Origin: CEO David Limp
Micron Technology: CEO Sanjay Mehrotra
TIBCO Software: Chairman Vivek Ranadive
Palantir: Executive Shyam Sankar
Scale AI: Founder and CEO Alexandr Wang
Shift4 Payments: CEO Jared Isaacman
These leaders, many of whom will also attend the AI Education Task Force meeting, are poised to discuss strategies for advancing AI-driven education and broader tech policy. The event underscores Trump’s push to align government initiatives with private-sector innovation.
The dinner will take place in the transformed Rose Garden, which Trump has reimagined with paved surfaces, tables, and umbrellas reminiscent of his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
