The CEOs of Apple and Microsoft had dinner at Davos with Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, who has a history of misogyny, racism, and homophobia
- Apple CEO Tim Cook and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella were spotted having dinner at the same table as far-right Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro.
- Cook and Nadella were attending the World Economic Forum, which is taking place in Davos this week.
- The dinner was held Tuesday night in Bolsonaro's honour, and was attended by politicians and business leaders.
- Bolsonaro has a history of making misogynistic, homophobic, and racist remarks, so it's an awkward look for the two Silicon Valley luminaries.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella were spotted having dinner at Davos with Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right populist Brazilian president.
The pair were attending a dinner at the World Economic Forum, the annual gathering of the world's elite in Davos, Switzerland. The event was held at the Morosani Hotel in honour of Bolsonaro - who took office in October - and was attended by other business leaders and politicians.
It's an unfortunate look for the pair, who were seated at the same table as Bolsonaro and were clocked by Axios reporter Felix Salmon, who tweeted a photo of the group. Bolsonaro is at the centre of the photo, wearing a blue tie. Nadella is leaning over, speaking to a woman who appears to be Queen Mathilde of Belgium.
It's unlikely that Bolsonaro would have been either Nadella's or Cook's dining partner of choice.
The president, formerly an army captain, has caused outrage in his own country and abroad for prejudiced remarks about women, minorities, and the LGBT community. The tide of populism that saw him elected president has been compared to US president Donald Trump's election in 2016.
In an interview in 2011, Bolsonaro said he would rather have a son die in an accident than turn out to be gay. "I would not be able to love a homosexual son," he said. Tim Cook is openly gay.
And in April, Bolsonaro was charged with inciting hatred against minorities, women, and gays. He faces another case for telling a female lawmaker that she was too ugly to rape.
Bolsonaro said in tweet, per Twitter's translation: "We have just attended dinner with great business leaders and heads of state at the invitation of the President of the World Economic Forum, Professor Schwab. A tremendous satisfaction sharing this moment and sharing experiences."
It wouldn't be the first time Cook and Nadella have had to court a controversial leader. The pair met with Donald Trump in December, along with other high-profile execs such as Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Alphabet CEO Larry Page.
Microsoft and Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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