According to an explosive report by the New York Post on the 16th, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has allegedly attempted to curry favor with U.S. President Donald Trump in order to slash a massive $30 billion antitrust settlement down to just $450 million — a move that would save Meta approximately $29.55 billion.
Zuckerberg reportedly offered a $1 million donation to Trump’s inauguration committee as part of a broader effort to smooth negotiations.
Sources cited by the Wall Street Journal claim that Zuckerberg has made at least three personal visits to the White House since January, directly lobbying Trump to intervene in the antitrust case against Meta.
This marks a dramatic shift in Zuckerberg’s stance, as Meta — formerly Facebook — previously banned Trump’s account following the Capitol riot.
The ban became the subject of a lawsuit that was settled earlier this year for $25 million.
Zuckerberg has since sought to repair relations with the Trump administration, attending elite gatherings alongside other tech moguls and showing visible political recalibration.
At the heart of the legal battle is the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) accusation that Meta pursued a “buy or bury” strategy to eliminate competitors like Instagram and WhatsApp, thereby securing monopoly power in the social media space.
The FTC initially demanded $30 billion in penalties and even hinted at forcing Meta to break up its conglomerate.
In a late March phone call with FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson, Zuckerberg allegedly proposed the $450 million settlement figure, confident that Trump would have his back in pressuring the agency.
However, Ferguson rejected the offer, stating he would not settle for less than $18 billion and demanded Meta commit to ending anti-competitive practices.
Zuckerberg reportedly increased the offer to nearly $1 billion, but negotiations remain at an impasse.
Meta continues to argue that it faces stiff competition from platforms like TikTok and YouTube, and denies having a dominant market position.
However, the FTC counters that short-form video platforms are in a separate market segment and do not directly compete with Meta’s core services.
A spokesperson for Meta stated that the company is fully prepared to defend itself in court.
Still, the implications of the case could be severe — not just financially, but potentially resulting in a forced breakup of one of the world's largest tech empires.