Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was recorded on a hot microphone telling former President Donald Trump that he had not been prepared to answer a question about planned U.S. investments during a televised White House dinner Thursday.
During the event in the State Dining Room, Trump asked Zuckerberg how much he intended to spend in the United States. Zuckerberg initially replied, "Oh gosh, um, I think it's probably gonna be, something like, I don't know, at least $600 billion through '28, in the US, yeah." Trump remarked that it was "a lot of money," and Zuckerberg said, "Yeah, no it's significant." Later in the evening, the Meta chief was heard apologizing and saying, "I wasn't sure what number you wanted to go with." Trump laughed and commented to Melania Trump, who was seated on his other side, that Zuckerberg was not prepared.
The dinner brought together a group of prominent technology executives, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and OpenAI founder Sam Altman. The gathering was televised, and the exchange was audible on the broadcast. The question about U.S. spending came amid broader discussions at the event about technology, investment and economic plans.
Zuckerberg, who founded Meta and serves as its chief executive officer, gave the numerical estimate in response to Trump’s direct question about investment plans. The subsequent admission that he had not been prepared for the question was picked up audibly later in the program. The White House event, held Thursday evening in the State Dining Room, featured remarks and conversations between the president and several leaders from the technology sector.
The hot-mic moment underscores the heightened attention on public remarks made by executives and presidents during televised appearances. The exchange was brief and remained confined to the question-and-answer portion of the dinner; no policy decisions or formal investment commitments were announced at the event.
Representatives for Meta, the White House and other attendees did not immediately provide additional comment after the televised exchange. News organizations covering the event published audio and video of the dinner that included the hot-mic segment.
The interaction follows months of public scrutiny over big-tech investment plans, regulatory scrutiny and the relationship between technology companies and government officials. Company executives frequently face detailed questioning at public events about where and how they will invest, amid competition for jobs and production in the United States. In this instance, the exchange drew attention because the admission of being unprepared was audible on the broadcast and occurred while several high-profile industry leaders were in attendance.
No further details about whether Zuckerberg’s estimate reflects pending, announced or projected commitments were disclosed during the dinner. The event continued with other discussions among the president and the assembled executives.
This account is based on the televised event and audio captured during the State Dining Room dinner Thursday evening.