Friday afternoon last week, Jensen Huang, Chipmaker Nvidia’s chief executive, fell to the White House to meet President Trump for the first time. There was no fanfare, and left without a single public photo taken by the two.
Two weeks earlier, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella had a long meal with Mr Trump on Mar-A-Lago estate in Florida. They ran with little upset and just made the news.
Nor did the executive employee join his modern technologies who stood Ramrod behind Mr Trump in his inauguration. Instead, the two were on completely different continents: Mr Nadella traveled to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, while Mr Huang completed a visit to see suppliers and employees in Taiwan and China.
The absence of the inauguration of managers two of the most valuable companies in the world was perhaps the most visual sign that some companies were trying to approach a lower key, as Mr Trump returned to Washington, even when some peers took his fantastics. .
For companies such as Microsoft and Nvidia, which, unlike many of their peers, have not enraged Mr Trump, “it is almost a job as usual,” said S. SomaseGar, a former Microsoft executive at Madrona Venture Group who speaks regularly with Mr Nadella.
While Microsoft and Nvidia share a quieter approach to Mr Trump, their fingerprints in Washington are the polar opposite. Microsoft, at the top of its 50th anniversary and was trained by its antitrust race more than two decades ago, is undoubtedly Tech’s Savviest Player on politics, with strong arm and executives who have cultivated contacts in both political parties.
Nvidia, on the other hand, is a recruiter in Washington. His profile has increased rapidly in recent years, thanks to the overwhelming control of specialized chips that other technology companies have to build large AI systems.
The bets for both companies are high. The new administration must complete the rules on the sale of Nvidia chips and the building of Microsoft’s data centers abroad. Microsoft also has a number of other concerns, including cyberspace, the regulation of AI systems and electricity requirements in data centers. Following a significant development from Deepseek start, Nvidia is also facing the risk that the administration could further reduce chip sales in China.
“Everyone has to come to the table and they will do so in different ways, because as the proverb says, if you are not on the table, you are on the menu,” said Kevin Madden, a senior Penta team, a global strategy company and former senior General in Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign for 2012.
Their quietest strategies are exposed around the inauguration. Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, attended a reception for members of the cabinet hosted by Vice President JD Vance. A week later, Mr Smith and Mr Nadella went to a black tie dinner hosted by Alfalfa Club and watched the candidates of the Council of Ministers Howard Lutnick, Linda McMahon and Doug Burgum, former North Dakota Governor and Mr. Nadella’s Old mentor in Microsoft. Nvidia’s Vice President of Foreign Affairs, Ned Finkle and some of NVIDIA policy staff also watched facilities.
Like other technology companies, Microsoft gave $ 1 million to Mr Trump’s inaugural fund, but did so after his peers. It gave $ 500,000 to the opening fund for the first Trump administration, as well as the inauguration of Biden in 2021.
When the founder of the Amazon Jeff Bezos and his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, had dinner on a very expected trip to Mar-a-Lago in mid-December, the Instagram positions that document it made gossip.
Microsoft leaders met with Mr Trump’s staff, cabinets and technology consultants before Mr Nadella, the man said. When they arrived at Mar-A-Lago, they knew Mr Trump’s priorities and concerns.
They talked about security and investment in infrastructure and when Mr Trump expressed his concern about nuclear energy security – which is gaining popularity as a data supplier for data centers – Mr Nadella, Mr Smith and Elon Musk, who joined lunch, tried to mitigate his fears, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation.
Mr Huang of Nvidia missed Mar-A-Lago and waited almost two weeks after the inauguration to visit the administration.
By the time he arrived in Washington this month, it was clear that the Trump administration could be a threat to Nvidia’s business. Mr Lutnick, a wealthy donor to Mr Trump, who had been chosen to lead the Department of Commerce, told Congress during the days of listening days earlier that he thought that US technology companies, including Nvidia, “should stop help “China.
“If they are going to compete with us, let them compete, but stop using our tools to compete with us,” he said.
The comments destroyed Nvidia’s hopes that Mr Trump could proceed with a lighter regulatory environment than his predecessor. Under President Joseph R. Biden Jr., the United States destroyed the sale of Nvidia chips in China and covered sales of AI chips in more than 100 other countries. The expansion and imposition of these rules fall within the Trump administration.
During the afternoon meeting of Mr Huang with Mr Trump, their first, Mr. Huang spoke about Politics AI and semiconductors. But then, Mr Trump told reporters that he could not say if he would ban more Nvidia chips in China. He added that while “it was a good meeting”, the administration was still planning to put invoices on brands overseas, which would reduce Nvidia’s profits because its chips made in Taiwan.
“He is a great gentleman,” Mr Trump said for Mr. Huang. “He’s the largest in the world in terms of chips.”
Mr Finkle refused to discuss the meeting. In an interview with the New York Times, he said: “Things went well, but I can’t say much more than that.”
In the face of pressure from the White House, Nvidia has reinforced its presence in Washington. This week, the company, which opened its first office last year, brought on the Democratic Government Board, Stewart Barber, who previously worked as a consultant to Ivanka Trump, said two people who are familiar with Nvidia’s office who asked for anonymity to discuss to discuss staff.
The company has applied to become a member of the IT Council, a policy team that represents most of the leading technology companies. He has also hired American Global Strategies, a geopolitical counseling team led by Robert C. O’Brien, who has served as a White House National Security Advisor for two years under Mr Trump.
Nvidia’s late expansion in Washington can also be attributed to a recognition that its new promotion required to become more dedicated. In just over a year, Nvidia’s market value has a ball of $ 2 trillion, making it one of the three most valuable public companies in the world, with Microsoft and Apple.
“This really shows their maturity and their recognition that her presence in Washington,” said Dean Garfield, a former Netflix Policy Vice President, who led the IT Council from 2009 to 2018. “Hopefully, let’s hope that is one of the multiple steps they take.
