Trump says Bill Gates asked to meet in apparent message to Musk
By Aaron Pellish and Alayna Treene, CNN
(CNN) — In a message that appeared to be intended as a private communication to Elon Musk, President-elect Donald Trump said in a social media post Friday that Microsoft founder Bill Gates had asked to meet with him.
“Where are you? When are you coming to the ‘Center of the Universe,’ Mar-a-Lago. Bill Gates asked to come, tonight. We miss you and x! New Year’s Eve is going to be AMAZING!!! DJT,” Trump wrote in the Truth Social post.
Gates has reached out to the Trump transition about a possible meeting with Trump, a person familiar with the talks told CNN, but as of now it’s unclear whether the two will meet. Trump has met with several tech CEOs and business leaders at his home since winning November’s election. CNN has reached out to Gates for comment.
The message appears to include a reference to Musk’s son, X Æ A-Xii, whom Musk colloquially refers to as X. The post comes as Musk, whom Trump named as co-leader of his government efficiency initiative, has drawn fresh criticism from loyal Trump supporters over his support of the visa program that allows highly skilled foreign workers to immigrate to the US.
Trump and Gates first met in December 2016 as Trump was preparing to take office for the first time.
Since Trump’s election victory last month, a number of tech CEOs have either spoken with Trump or visited him in Mar-a-Lago in an attempt to curry favor with the president-elect. Several Fortune 500 companies and other corporate interests have committed millions to his inauguration as well.
The CEOs who have met with Trump have come in with a clear strategy, people familiar with the meetings have previously told CNN. That includes discussing issues they know Trump will like — such as bringing manufacturing and jobs back to the US — while also sneaking in potential policy concerns they have with his new administration. Many of these CEOs are seeking the meetings as an opportunity to “start on the right page,” a source familiar with the matter previously told CNN.
The-CNN-Wire
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