Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has donated $1 million to the inauguration fund of US President Donald Trump for the first time. This move indicates a strategic rapprochement with the future president after the relationship between Trump and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had been tense in the past years.

The donation marks a significant shift in Meta's strategy.

Meta CEO Zuckerberg recently emphasized that the company is striving for political neutrality and has reduced the share of political content on its platforms. Nevertheless, Zuckerberg wrote in a letter to the Republican-led Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives that the Biden administration had "repeatedly pressured" Meta to censor certain Covid-19 content during the pandemic.

Meta's recent donation is not only symbolic but a signal to the new government, particularly regarding Trump's announced technology policy. Meta apparently wants to take an active role in strategic debates on the US's technological leadership. Nick Clegg, Meta's head of global affairs, stated that Zuckerberg wants to be more involved in topics like artificial intelligence.

The donation and the rapprochement take place against the backdrop of an intense race by the tech industry to gain Trump's support. For example, Elon Musk, CEO of X (formerly Twitter), is one of the closest advisors to the future president, and Silicon Valley investor David Sacks has been appointed as AI and crypto commissioner.

Only recently, Zuckerberg dined with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Meta commented that Zuckerberg was "grateful" for the invitation and described the current phase as "important for the future of American innovation.

With the donation and the recent statements, Meta is trying to smooth the strained relationship and position itself as a partner of the government on key technological and economic issues.