The tides have turned in Trump’s favour ever since he won a second term in the November 2024 election. In the last two months, his net worth has grown exceptionally from $2.5 billion to $6.1 billion, he has been given unconditional discharge in the hush-money trial, and he received $15 million from ABC in December to close out a defamation dispute with the network.
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In line with his old feuds and lawsuits being resolved, Meta has also decided to settle a four-year-old lawsuit and in doing so, Trump is walking away with a $25 million settlement, reports The Independent.
The settlement comes years after the tech giant suspended Trump’s social media accounts (Facebook and Instagram) in the aftermath of the January 6 Capitol riots in 2021.
Meta to pay Donald Trump $25 million as a part of settlement
Trump—who has had many viral moments over the years—sued Meta, claiming the ban was an act of political censorship. After years of legal back-and-forth, the company has now agreed to settle, however, the deal doesn't require Meta to admit any wrongdoing.
Meta spokesperson, Andy Stone, confirmed the $25 million settlement and revealed that $22 million will go to a fund for Trump’s presidential library and the remaining $3 million is dedicated to legal fees and other plaintiffs in the case, reports NBC News.
This comes after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Trump have been seen mending their relationship in the past few months. The two were spotted dining together at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate late last year. Zuckerberg was present at Trump’s inauguration with other billionaires and tech giants including Elon Musk. Meta also donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund.
Additionally, he had a prime seat for Trump’s swearing-in ceremony and even hosted a party in his honour. Their growing relationship has surprised many, especially since Trump condemned Meta’s ban and stated things will be strictly ‘business’ between him and Zuckerberg. He previously said:
Next time I’m in the White House there will be no more dinners, at his request, with Mark Zuckerberg and his wife. It will be all business!
Why were Trump’s social media accounts suspended by Meta?
Let’s rewind to January 6, 2021, the day when the US Capitol was stormed by Trump supporters following his repeated claims that the 2020 election was stolen. Amid the chaos, Trump took to social media and posted messages that many interpreted as encouraging the rioters.
These messages included statements like ‘fight like hell’ and claims that the election was fraudulent—which have since then been debunked.
In response, major tech platforms took unprecedented action. Facebook and Instagram suspended Trump’s accounts indefinitely and cited the risk of further incitement to violence, reports The Guardian. Mark Zuckerberg explained the decision in a statement, saying:
We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great.
Initially, Trump’s accounts were suspended indefinitely but a few months later Facebook downgraded the suspension to two years. Trump eventually got his account back in 2023.
The Meta settlement was just one part of Trump’s larger battle against social media platforms. He also sued YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) for banning him.
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Sources used:
The Independent: Meta to pay President Trump $25 million settlement for suspending his Facebook accounts
NBC News: Meta agrees to pay $25 million to settle Trump lawsuit over suspended accounts
The Guardian: Meta agrees to pay Trump $25m for suspending accounts over Capitol riots
