Tech Billionaires at Presidential Inauguration

On Monday, the inauguration of President Donald Trump showcased a new era of influence from US tech billionaires such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos. These technology moguls were granted prominent positions during the ceremony, signaling their growing power and relationship with the White House.

The tech giants have been actively engaging with Trump’s administration in the weeks following the election, representing a significant change from Silicon Valley's criticism of his earlier term. Attendees included notable figures like Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and Google’s co-founder Sergey Brin. Despite the uncertainty surrounding TikTok, its CEO Shou Chew was also present, having benefited from Trump’s earlier assurances regarding the app's future in the US.

Seating was limited due to inclement weather, yet both Meta's Zuckerberg and Amazon's Bezos attended with their partners, emphasizing their visibility and acceptance at the event. Notably, Zuckerberg's presence was particularly striking, given Trump had once suggested extreme penalties for his company's actions just months prior. Recently, Zuckerberg has aligned more closely with Trump’s policies, relaxing Facebook’s regulations on fact-checking and hate speech.

Musk has emerged as one of Trump’s staunch supporters, reportedly donating $277 million to his campaign. He has actively promoted pro-Trump viewpoints on his platform X. Meanwhile, Bezos, who owns The Washington Post, faced backlash after blocking a planned endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris by the paper, resulting in protests from staff and loss of subscribers.

Musk’s influence extends to his role in advising the government on spending efficiency, while Amazon and Google remain significant contractors for government projects. Currently, however, tech giants such as Google, Meta, Apple, and Amazon are confronting serious antitrust lawsuits from the US government, which could potentially lead to their breakup by regulatory actions.

Technology, Politics, Influence