Trump to host top tech CEOs at White House dinner; Musk excluded
— President Donald Trump will host a dinner on Thursday evening at the White House Rose Garden with a roster of leading technology executives, including Bill Gates, Tim Cook and Mark Zuckerberg, to follow a meeting of a new Artificial Intelligence education task force; Elon Musk is not on the guest list.
Key Takeaways
- The White House will stage a dinner on Sept. 4 in the Rose Garden for senior tech leaders and business figures.
- Confirmed attendees include Bill Gates, Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Sam Altman and Sergey Brin.
- Elon Musk is absent from the guest list after a public falling-out with the president earlier this year.
- The gathering follows a session of the new AI Education task force, which first lady Melania Trump will chair.
- The Rose Garden area has been modified with hardscaping and new patio furnishings for the event.
- At least some dinner guests are expected to take part in the task force meeting focused on AI instruction for youth.
Verified Facts
The White House announced the dinner on Sept. 4, 2025, identifying a cross-section of executives from major technology and artificial intelligence companies. The confirmed list includes Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates; Apple CEO Tim Cook; Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg; Google founder Sergey Brin and CEO Sundar Pichai; Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella; OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman; Oracle CEO Safra Catz; and others from firms such as Palantir, Micron and Scale AI.
The event will take place in the Rose Garden area that the president recently had paved and furnished with tables, chairs and umbrellas. A White House spokesman, Davis Ingle, described the new patio as a place for business, political and tech leaders to gather.
The dinner is scheduled to follow a meeting of the administration’s newly formed Artificial Intelligence Education task force, which the White House says will develop guidance on AI education for American students. First lady Melania Trump is listed as chair of that task force and issued a statement urging guided, empowering instruction for children learning about AI.
Context & Impact
The gathering comes amid heightened political and industry attention on artificial intelligence policy and workforce preparation. Bringing major tech CEOs to the White House signals the administration’s intent to engage private-sector leaders on education and broader AI questions.
Industry participation could shape proposals on school curricula, digital literacy, workforce pipelines and potential public-private partnerships. Tech firms also face regulatory scrutiny in areas such as data, competition and national security, so the meeting offers an opportunity for direct dialogue with senior officials.
Possible outcomes include joint statements on AI education initiatives, commitments to pilot programs, or follow-up working groups bridging federal, state and corporate efforts. Attendees’ influence varies: large platform companies may press for interoperability and standards, while AI startups may emphasize research and talent development.
- Educational pilot programs for K–12 AI modules
- Public-private funding partnerships for teacher training
- Voluntary corporate pledges on safe AI development
Official Statements
“The president looks forward to welcoming top business, political, and tech leaders for this dinner and the many dinners to come on the new, beautiful Rose Garden patio,”
Davis Ingle, White House spokesman
“During this primitive stage, it is our duty to treat AI as we would our own children — empowering, but with watchful guidance,”
Melania Trump, Chair, AI Education task force (statement)
Unconfirmed
- No official White House document links the guest list exclusion directly to any single dispute between the president and Elon Musk; motives beyond the publicized falling-out are not publicly confirmed.
- Specific deliverables, funding levels, or timelines from the AI Education task force meeting have not been published and remain to be announced.
Bottom Line
The White House dinner on Sept. 4 gathers a who’s who of the tech sector to discuss AI education and related policy topics, underscoring the administration’s interest in shaping how AI is taught to young Americans. While the meeting foregrounds cooperation with major firms, absent figures and next steps will determine whether the session yields concrete programs or remains a high-profile convening.