Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates met with President-elect Donald Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE on Tuesday.

Transition spokesman Jason Miller offered no additional details about the meeting at Trump Tower in New York, but he pointed to CNBC’s Tuesday interview with Gates in which the philanthropist “had good things to say about Trump and innovation.”

"It was a good time," Gates told the press assembled in the Trump Tower lobby after about an hour inside.

"We had a good conversation about innovation, how it can help in health, education, the impact of foreign aid and energy, and a wide-ranging conversation about power of innovation."

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Gates told CNBC earlier in the day that he spoke with Trump for the first time recently by phone. He compared the president-elect’s push to bring innovation to the country to that of President John F. Kennedy’s expansion of the U.S. space program in the early 1960s.

"A lot of his message has been about ... where he sees things not as good as he'd like," Gates said.

"But in the same way President Kennedy talked about the space mission and got the country behind that," he said, "I think whether it's education or stopping epidemics ... [or] in this energy space, there can be a very upbeat message that [Trump's] administration [is] going to organize things, get rid of regulatory barriers, and have American leadership through innovation."

Gates had been critical of Trump earlier this year, saying at a June panel discussion that the billionaire “hasn’t been known” for his charitable giving.

Gates and his wife, Melinda, had been floated as potential running mates for Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonDemocratic groups using Bloomberg money to launch M in Spanish language ads in Florida The Hill's Campaign Report: Presidential polls tighten weeks out from Election Day More than 50 Latino faith leaders endorse Biden MORE, according to an email from former Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta that included a list of 39 names under consideration.

Trump will also be meeting with former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) on Tuesday. On Tuesday evening, he will hold another “thank you” rally in Wisconsin. And on Wednesday, the president-elect will hold a tech summit with industry leaders.

Updated 1:35 p.m.