Apple CEO Cook gives President Trump a gift of glass and 24-karat gold

Apple CEO Cook gives President Trump a gift of glass and 24-karat gold
Moments before President Donald Trump announced that Apple will invest an additional $100 billion in U.S. jobs and suppliers, Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook gave Trump a customized plaque with a 24-karat gold base during an Oval Office news conference Wednesday.
Grace Moon and Katie Tarrant for The Washington Post:
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“Apple will build the largest and most sophisticated smart glass production line in the world,” Trump said, adding that the tech company will source the cover glass for iPhone and Apple Watch products from a Corning facility in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.
Pausing his speech, Trump invited Cook to come up and “show them a little bit about the product you’re going to be doing in Kentucky.”
Cook approached the desk, where he gingerly unboxed the gift: an object that appeared to be an enlarged artistic rendering of a silicon wafer, a material used to make semiconductors, mounted on a 24-karat gold base.
“It’s a unique unit of one,” Cook said as he displayed the glass sculpture engraved with the president’s name, adding that it was designed by a former U.S. Marine corporal who now works at Apple.
On top of his latest deal with Apple, Trump also introduced a sweeping chip tariff at the Wednesday event, saying he will impose a 100 percent tariff on all computer chips imported to the U.S. However, Trump pledged to exempt companies that commit to “building” on U.S. soil, adding that Apple had successfully secured an exemption…
The Apple CEO had said Trump’s tariffs could add $900 million to the company’s overall costs. But on Wednesday, Cook was seen shaking the president’s hand and thanking him for being “a great advocate for American innovation and manufacturing.”
“We’re a proud American company,” Cook said.

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MacDailyNews Note: The iPhone glass, from American manufacturer Corning, is a disc with the iconic Apple logo cut into it. The top of the glass is etched with “PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP” under which is printed, “APPLE AMERICAN MANUFACTURING PROGRAM.” Under the Apple logo cutout, Tim Cook’s signature and “MADE IN USA” and the year 2025 are etched. The glass was designed by a “former US Marine Corps corporal” who works at Apple, according to Cook. The 24-karat gold base “comes from Utah.”
There is no word on how much the base weighs. An ounce of 24 karat gold is currently priced at approximately US$3,389.50.

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