Argentina’s Milei meets top tech CEOs to boost business relations

Libertarian Argentina has “enormous possibilities” under his leadership, Milei tells Sam Altman.

Argentinian President Javier Milei will meet privately with a number of high-profile figures, including top tech CEOs during a trip to Silicon Valley in California as he tours the United States. He will use the occasions to promote business relations with Argentina, according to press reports.

Milei told OpenAI and Worldcoin head Sam Altman about “the enormous possibilities offered by a libertarian Argentina” during their hourlong meeting on May 28. Alex Blania, co-founder and CEO of Tools for Humanity, the main developer of the Worldcoin project, was also at that meeting. It was Milei’s second meeting with the men. Worldcoin was active in Argentina in the summer of 2023 but faces political opposition.

Other tech luminaries on Milei’s roster include Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Apple’s Tim Cook. Milei will also meet with a group of start-up and AI entrepreneurs and speak at the Pacific Summit.

This is Milei’s fourth visit to the United States during his term, which began on Dec. 10 after a runoff. He is accompanied by a cadre of the country’s high officials.

Among other figures Milei will meet are former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Milei talked to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on May 28. Milei and Trudeau reportedly talked about the situation in Gaza.

Related: In inflation-torn Argentina, locals use ‘crypto caves’ — and avoid Bitcoin

High-tech investment would be a welcome boost in economically troubled Argentina. While inflation in Argentina has fallen from 133% to 50% during his comparatively short term, Milei remains a divisive figure at home. His frequent meetings with business leaders boost his image.

Milei ran for office as a proponent of cryptocurrency and promised to dissolve the country’s central bank. He has disappointed the hopes of much of his electorate by backtracking on many of those promises.

Nonetheless, Argentine and Salvadoran regulators met on May 23 to discuss El Salvador’s experience with Bitcoin (BTC) as a legal tender. Milei will leave the United States on May 31 and attend Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s inauguration for his second term.