Jan 29, 2025 - Business

Meta to pay Trump $25 million settlement for shutting his accounts after Jan. 6

April Rubin

Zuckerberg stands in group of people at inauguration — Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg (C) attends President Trump's inauguration ceremony on Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Kenny Holston/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump on Wednesday settled a lawsuit that will require Meta to pay about $25 million, most of which will fund a presidential library, multiple outlets reported and a source familiar confirmed to Axios.

Why it matters: Meta shut down Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts for about two years after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. However, since Trump's reelection, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has cozied up to the new administration.

$22 million will go toward a fund for Trump's presidential library, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the deal. The rest will go toward legal fees and individual plaintiffs.
Boris Epshteyn, Trump's attorney, did not comment on the record.

Flashback: Trump's Facebook and Instagram profiles were reinstated in early 2023 and subsequently subject to stricter penalties than other users for more than a year.

His account on Twitter, now X, was also suspended after the Capitol riot.

State of play: Zuckerberg attended Trump's inauguration and donated $1 million to the inaugural fund.

He also traveled to Mar-a-Lago in November to meet with Trump after the election.

Go deeper: Everything's coming up Zuck

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Meta to pay Trump $25 million settlement for shutting his accounts after Jan. 6

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