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Rupert Murdoch, Chairman Emeritus of FOX Corporation and News Corp., was among a slate of industry titans who attended President Donald Trump’s historic state dinner at the United Kingdom’s Windsor Castle on Wednesday.
Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, members of the Trump administration and some of the most recognized business leaders in the world, including Murdoch, were welcomed by King Charles III.
Rupert Murdoch arrives to attend the State Banquet at Windsor Castle during the state visit by President Donald Trump on Sept. 17, 2025. (Phil Noble – WPA Pool/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Apple CEO Tim Cook and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Ruth Porat, the CFO of Google parent company Alphabet, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang were in attendance alongside Murdoch, who stepped down from his roles as chairman of Fox Corporation and News Corp in 2023.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang attends a State Banquet at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, on Sept. 17, 2025, during the second state visit of President Donald Trump. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool via Reuters / Reuters)
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Other business titans who also attended the dinner include BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, CitiGroup CEO Jane Fraser, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, BP CEO Murray Auchincloss, Shell CEO Wael Sawan and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and Tiffany Trump walk to attend the State Banquet at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, Britain, on Sept. 17, 2025. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque/Pool)
Wednesday marked Trump’s second state visit as president following his 2019 visit with Queen Elizabeth II during his first term.
Both Trump and King Charles exchanged pleasantries during toasts at dinner. Trump called the invitation “one of the highest honors of my life.”
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A State Banquet is a formal dinner held by the Monarch for a visiting Head of State as part of an official State Visit, which includes a series of engagements including meetings with ministers and leaders of commerce and industry. The dinner is typically held the first night of the state visit, according to The Royal Collection Trust.
President Donald Trump, (2nd R) first lady Melania Trump, (R) King Charles III and Queen Camilla (L) arrive for the State Banquet at Windsor Castle on Sept. 17, 2025 in Windsor, England. (Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images / Getty Images)
State Banquets in London have traditionally been held in the Ballroom at Buckingham Palace since 2914. It is the largest of the State Rooms and was completed in 1855, during the reign of Queen Victoria.
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All the guests invited to the historic occasion sit at a table that measures 51 yards long, which is more than half the length of a football field. Typically, it can seat up to 160 guests. The Associated Press reported it takes five full days to set the table, which holds more than 4,000 pieces, including 200-year-old silver.
Queen Elizabeth II hosted over 150 heads of state during her reign and King Charles III hosted his first State Visit in November 2022, according to The Royal Collection Trust.
