On September 4, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump hosted an exclusive dinner in the newly refurbished White House Rose Garden, inviting over two dozen prominent technology executives and business leaders. The event highlighted the administration’s efforts to strengthen ties with Silicon Valley as the tech industry adjusts to shifting regulatory and political landscapes under Trump’s leadership. However, one notable absence was Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, who was not invited to the gathering following a public fallout with the president earlier this year.
Attendees included major industry figures such as Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, among others. The White House spokesperson Davis Ingle praised the new “Rose Garden Club” as the most sought-after venue in Washington, intended for hosting influential leaders for dinners and future events. The dinner followed an AI-focused event chaired by First Lady Melania Trump, underscoring the administration’s prioritization of technological innovation.
The exclusion of Musk, who was formerly an advisor to Trump and involved in the Department of Government Efficiency, marked a significant shift in their relationship. Reports indicate that Musk’s distancing from Trump and disagreements over key appointments—such as the withdrawal of Jared Isaacman’s NASA nomination, who was formerly linked to Musk—contributed to the snub.
This high-profile gathering also included CEOs like Sundar Pichai of Google, Safra Catz of Oracle, David Limp of Blue Origin, Sanjay Mehrotra of Micron Technology, and others leading advances in artificial intelligence, space exploration, and technology development.
The Rose Garden itself recently underwent renovations, replacing its traditional grass with a stone patio adorned with tables and umbrellas, resembling Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. The revamped space is set to become a premier location for White House social and political engagements going forward.
This dinner signals a recalibration of relationships between the Trump administration and major tech corporations, focusing on collaboration in AI and innovation while navigating ideological differences and past controversies.
