Meta agrees to pay $25 million to settle lawsuit with Trump over Jan. 6 suspension

WASHINGTON — Meta has agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by US President Donald Trump against the company after it suspended his accounts following the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, according to three people familiar with the matter.

It’s the latest instance of a large corporation settling litigation with the president, who has threatened retribution on his critics and rivals, and comes as Meta and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, have joined other large technology companies in trying to ingratiate themselves with the new Trump administration.

The people familiar with the matter speak on the condition of anonymity Wednesday to discuss the agreement. Two people say that terms of the agreement include $22 million going to the nonprofit that will become Trump’s future presidential library and the balance going to legal fees and other litigants.

The Wall Street Journal was first to report on the settlement.