President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration will feature some of America’s wealthiest tech leaders, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. This marks a significant political shift for Silicon Valley's traditionally left-leaning titans.
After the November election, many tech executives rallied around Trump. They contributed to his record-breaking inaugural fund, with major donations from leaders of Google, Apple, Microsoft, and more.
In recent months, prominent tech figures visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago. These meetings hinted at a growing alignment between the tech industry and the incoming administration.
"Jeff Bezos came," Trump said last week. "Bill Gates came. Mark Zuckerberg came. The bankers have all come. Everybody is coming."
This support is a sharp contrast to Big Tech’s stance in 2020, when many companies temporarily banned Trump from their platforms. Now, these firms are increasingly critical of the Biden administration’s policies.
Mark Zuckerberg has taken noticeable steps to align with Trump. Recently, Meta ended its diversity and inclusion programs, reflecting a broader cultural shift. Zuckerberg told Joe Rogan his company would embrace "masculine energy" going forward.
"Seeing Donald Trump get up after getting shot in the face and pump his fist in the air is one of the most bada-- things I’ve ever seen," Zuckerberg told Bloomberg, referring to an assassination attempt in July.
Jeff Bezos, the owner of the Washington Post, will sit among VIPs at the inauguration. Despite a rocky past with Trump, Bezos now expresses optimism about the new administration. "I’m very optimistic about [Trump’s] regulatory agenda," Bezos said in December.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will also attend the event, despite TikTok’s plans to cease U.S. operations. Trump hinted at pausing the app’s forced divestment, marking a reversal from his 2020 stance.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai is another notable attendee. His company donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund, far exceeding past contributions. Pichai hopes Trump will accelerate AI infrastructure development.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also supports Trump’s vision for AI. "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI," Altman said, committing $1 million to the inaugural fund.
Elon Musk remains one of Trump’s closest allies. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO donated $250 million to pro-Trump causes and has worked closely with the administration on various initiatives.
Trump’s inauguration highlights the growing influence of tech leaders in his administration. With millions in donations and public endorsements, Big Tech is forging a new political alignment.