President Trump dining with commercial magnates, featuring some detractors of his administration
TV host Charles Payne dives into the world of power brokering as we dissect Trump's foreign dealings.
When Donald Trump sank his teeth into a feast at the Saudi royal court in Riyadh, it wasn't just culinary pleasure he sought — it was the sweet taste of business deals and strategic alliances with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
"Tycoons 'n' Bauers" Gather in Riyadh
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman graciously hosted the meal, setting the stage for Trump's game-changing Persian Gulf expedition.
Power Players, Past Critics, and Presidents' Mates
Attendees at the Saudi soiree included a dazzling array of bigwigs, some of whom had previously been Trump skeptics. Here's a rundown of some notable attendees:
OpenAI's Open-Minded CEO, Sam Altman
Once a critic of Trump and donor to Joe Biden's presidential campaign, Altman now found himself rubbing elbows with the president. In January, Altman spoke more favorably of Trump, expressing on X, "Watching @POTUS more closely recently has really changed my perspective on him," adding, "Trump will be incredible for the country in many ways, though I'm not going to agree with him on everything."
Scale AI's Rising Star, Alexandr Wang
Wang, a proponent of AI leadership, shared a photo of himself shaking hands with the president on X, writing, "Good discussion on AI leadership with President Trump and my colleagues from across the AI industry. Thanks for our Saudi hosts as well."
The Man behind Tesla's Triumphs, Elon Musk
A vocal supporter of Trump during his 2024 campaign, Musk took on a senior advisory role when Trump assumed office, serving as head of the administration's Department of Government Efficiency.
Google's Number-Cruncher, Ruth Porat
Porat, a Clinton Global Initiative regular[6], joined the premier's modest feast as well.
Amazon's Andy Jassy
Jassy was another guest at the lunch and spoke at the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum in Riyadh the same day.
Palantir's Influential Chief, Alex Karp
Karp's Palantir is a software powerhouse that he co-founded, and he was present at the luncheon.
The Uber Ex-CEO, Travis Kalanick
Kalanick, a former Uber CEO, joined the crowd.
Epic Games' Visionary, Tim Sweeney
Sweeney, who previously criticized some Big Tech leaders[7], found himself seated amongst Trump's fellow diners.
Alcoa's CEO, William Oplinger
Oplinger, who had spoken out against the Trump administration's tariffs[8], was also in attendance.
The lunch catered to over 30 business leaders from various sectors[9]. Some speculate that these meetings may lead to multi-billion-dollar investments from Gulf sovereign wealth funds to bolster Trump's domestic manufacturing efforts. Emboldened by these prospects, Trump pronounced the day "great" on TruthSocial.
- Tycoons in the realm of technology, finance, and industry gathered in Riyadh for a meal hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, including CEOs like Sam Altman of OpenAI, Alexandr Wang of Scale AI, Elon Musk of Tesla, Ruth Porat of Google, Andy Jassy of Amazon, Alex Karp of Palantir, Travis Kalanick of Uber, Tim Sweeney of Epic Games, and William Oplinger of Alcoa.
- Although many, such as Sam Altman and Travis Kalanick, had previously been Trump skeptics, they found themselves at the Saudi soiree, potentially signifying a shift in their political views.
- This gathering may lead to significant investments from Gulf sovereign wealth funds, potentially strengthening Trump's domestic manufacturing sector, as some speculate.
- The business leaders in attendance came from various sectors, including technology, finance, industry, and general-news, demonstrating the breadth and influence of Trump's foreign dealings on the global stage.
