



Updated 8:29 a.m. with White House statement.

In the first authorized photo since his medical leave in January, Apple chief Steve Jobs appears alongside President Obama and Silicon Valley technology leaders at a dinner Thursday night, raising a glass at a Woodside, Calif., dinner. Jobs' back is turned to the camera.

Also visible in the photgraph, released by the White House Friday, are Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, Oracle chief Larry Ellison, and the remainder of the guest list the Times published Thursday.

In the photograph, Jobs is to the immediate left of the president, with Zuckerberg to the right. Here's a blow-up of the image that shows the trio more closely.

A statement released by the White House Thursday night detailed the event:

"This evening, the President joined twelve leaders from technology companies to discuss ways to work together to invest in American innovation and promote private sector job growth. In the President’s State of the Union Address, he called on us to win the future by out-innovating and out-educating the rest of the world and increasing American competitiveness. The President believes that American companies like these have been leading by investing in the creativity and ingenuity of the American people, creating cutting-edge new technologies and promoting new ways to communicate. The President specifically discussed his proposals to invest in research and development and expand incentives for companies to grow and hire, along with his goal of doubling exports over five years to support millions of American jobs. The group also discussed the importance of new investments in education and the new White House initiative Startup America, a partnership with the private sector aimed at supporting new startups and small businesses. The President expressed his desire to continue a dialogue with the group to share new ideas so we can work as partners to promote growth and create good jobs in the United States."

A report by the San Francisco Chronicle notes that many of the leaders present have been longtime Democratic donors, and considers the event in the light of election-season fundraising.



RELATED:

Official list of attendees at Obama tech meeting: CEOs of Twitter, Netflix, Oracle, Yahoo, others

Apple's Steve Jobs scheduled to meet with Obama on Thursday

Steve Jobs reportedly spotted at Apple headquarters "looking good"

Apple's Steve Jobs a little nervous before early TV appearance [Video]

-- David Sarno

twitter.com/dsarno

Images: Tech leaders raise a glass at a dinner with President Obama on Thursday. Credit: The White House