The Technology Shift Towards Trump: All the Companies and Executives Seeking His Favor
Technological oligarchy and meetings at Mar-a-Lago.
Elon Musk has shown strong support and has invested approximately $250 million of his own money in the campaign for Donald Trump to be re-elected as the 47th president of the United States. After the elections concluded, it didn’t take long for other tech leaders to start reaching out. Several figures and companies from Silicon Valley have each donated one million dollars to Trump's inauguration fund. The participation of Musk, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, Apple's Tim Cook, Google's Sundar Pichai, and TikTok's CEO Shou Chew is expected at the event.
Companies such as Meta, Apple, Microsoft, and Google could benefit if a Trump administration adopts a more lenient approach to regulation and antitrust law enforcement. Several tech leaders, including Zuckerberg, Pichai, Bezos, and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, have already visited Mar-a-Lago to discuss and potentially influence tech policies directly with Trump. Musk, having taken the lead, has secured an advisory role in the upcoming administration.
Zuckerberg, who at one point was threatened with life imprisonment by Trump, has reformed Meta by eliminating fact-checks and restrictions impacting vulnerable populations such as the LGBTQ community, immigrants, and women. In a farewell speech, President Joe Biden warned of the growing power of Silicon Valley: “An oligarchy of extreme wealth, power, and influence is forming in America that threatens our democracy,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Satya Nadella and Brad Smith from Microsoft joined Elon Musk, JD Vance, and the president-elect in a recent meeting to discuss cybersecurity, tech policies, and a Microsoft commitment to invest $80 billion in global artificial intelligence infrastructure.
In addition to Musk, Google’s Sundar Pichai and Apple’s Tim Cook are also expected to attend Trump’s inauguration. TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to have a prominent seat alongside former presidents and family members at this event, as Trump has pledged to protect the app, which faces a potential ban in the U.S.
Finally, it is noteworthy that Meta has made changes to its policy team, appointing Joel Kaplan, a well-known Republican, as the new head of policy just before Trump take office. Furthermore, Musk has frequently visited Mar-a-Lago, even attending a dinner where there was evident tension between him and Bezos, who have had a competitive relationship over time.