It's not a tax, Tim Apple gave him the gold personally, with cameras in tow, he did not submit the ACH data to the IRS.

It's bending the knee.

Why degrade himself, what can Trump do that their trillions cannot cushion?

Same difference. "I spent millions/billions that could have been avoided because I did not want to appear to degrade myself" doesn't sell very well to stakeholders. The CEO should do what is in the best interests of the company, and in the US when Mr Trump is president, it is in the best interests of the company to bend the knee.