Uber's boss has quit Donald Trump's business advisory council in a move aimed at distancing the ride-sharing app from the President's policy agenda.
Travis Kalanick confirmed the U-turn in a memo to Uber employees, having taken to Twitter five days previously to insist he would keep the role, saying then: "I'm going to use my position on Pres economic council to stand up for what's right."
He had faced a backlash in the US with a boycott campaign, under the #deleteuber hashtag, gathering momentum despite his public opposition to the President's travel restrictions on people from seven mainly-Muslim countries and limits on refugees.
Mr Kalanick had even announced a $3m legal fund and pledged full earnings compensation for any driver who could not work because of the ban, saying it "is against everything @uber stands for".
The change of heart on his membership of the council came from the leaked memo, which read: "Joining the group was not meant to be an endorsement of the president or his agenda but unfortunately it has been misinterpreted to be exactly that."
He said he had spoken to the President to inform him of the decision, on what was the eve of the council's first meeting.
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It was formed by Stephen Schwarzman, chairman and chief executive of the private equity group Blackstone.
Other members include the leaders of Wal-Mart, General Motors, Tesla, the Cleveland Clinic and Pepsi.
It had already been announced that Disney boss Bob Iger would not be able to attend the White House event because of a diary clash.
The council's self-described mission is to "provide direct input to the president from many of the best and brightest in the business world in a frank, non-bureaucratic, and nonpartisan manner."
One of the most high-profile members to confirm his attendance was Elon Musk - the founder of Tesla and SpaceX - who said he would be offering "suggestions" for changes to the temporary immigration policies.
Another of the companies to say it has been affected by the travel ban is the Cleveland Clinic.
A spokeswoman for the medical services firm said its chief executive, Toby Cosgrove, would be attending the meeting as it was a "good opportunity" to talk directly to the President about his agenda.
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