Ted Sarandos, the co-CEO of Netflix, is set to meet with President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, joining a stream of business leaders who have made the pilgrimage to his home. The meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, has sparked curiosity as details remain scarce. The visit was first reported by CNN’s Alayna Treene.
This visit comes on the heels of other tech executives meeting with Trump, including Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Sundar Pichai of Google, and Tim Cook of Apple. Jeff Bezos of Amazon is also expected to visit Mar-a-Lago this week. The tech industry is facing potential crackdowns from the incoming administration, particularly in relation to censorship concerns and tariff threats on Chinese goods.
In a show of support, Meta, OpenAI, and Amazon pledged $1 million each towards Trump’s inauguration. Additionally, Disney-owned ABC News agreed to donate $15 million towards a Trump presidential library as part of a defamation settlement. Trump himself recently rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, where he reiterated his plan to cut corporate taxes to 15% for companies producing goods domestically.
It’s worth noting that Sarandos’ wife, Nicole Avant, donated $150,000 in support of Kamala Harris and the Democratic National Committee in September. While Sarandos has previously contributed to Democrats, his donations have decreased during the Biden era, with no contributions made in 2024.
The meeting between Sarandos and Trump at Mar-a-Lago is sure to be closely watched, given the current political climate and the tech industry’s concerns. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
