Argentine President Javier Milei has arrived in the United States.
But rather than formally meeting with President Joe Biden, he is heading to the West Coast to meet with Silicon Valley executives.
Milei’s schedule includes private meetings with three of the biggest names in tech: Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Apple boss Tim Cook, and Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg.
He also reportedly met with representatives from OpenAI, as well as SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk – his second meeting with the billionaire in a month.
Alongside big names in tech, the South American leader and former TV pundit is set to speak at Stanford University and meet entrepreneurs from several AI startups.
The Argentine right-libertarian leader’s membership in tech circles is believed to be linked to the country’s abundant and largely untapped lithium resources. Musk was “extremely interested” in Argentine lithium during their previous meeting, Milei said.
Argentina is home to some of the largest known deposits of the metal, used to power batteries in cell phones, laptops and electric vehicles. Such is the value of lithium in the modern world that it is known in some circles as “white gold.”
With a number of development projects underway, Argentina’s lithium production could triple this year, according to S&P Global.
For Milei, networking with Silicon Valley executives could help attract investment in Argentina’s technology and space sectors, which are growing despite the country’s devastating economic crisis.
Since Milei’s inauguration in December 2023, monthly inflation rates have declined, but annual price growth still remains at nearly 300%, the AP recently reported.
However, the self-proclaimed “anarcho-capitalist” faces widespread nationwide protests over his austerity measures, which include a reduction in public spending and the removal of fuel and transport subsidies.
On his way back from the United States, he will stop at the inauguration of Salvadoran leader Nayib Bukele’s second term.
Representatives for Apple, Meta and Alphabet did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s requests for comment.
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