- Tech leaders, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Tim Cook, join Trump’s pre-inaugural celebrations.
- Criticism emerges over the growing alliance between Trump and Silicon Valley executives.
- High-stakes regulatory and policy issues loom for tech companies under the new administration.
A parade of influential tech leaders and prominent figures in Donald Trump’s inner circle joined the president-elect to commence his pre-inaugural celebrations with a church service on Monday morning.
Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), Tim Cook (Apple), and Sundar Pichai (Google) were among those seated in prime positions at St. John’s Church in Washington, D.C. Other notable attendees included media magnate Rupert Murdoch, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
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Many of these executives were vocal critics of Trump during his first term, particularly on issues like climate change and immigration. However, their attendance at the event signals a potential shift as Trump prepares to assume office.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chou is also expected to attend the inauguration as his company faces challenges stemming from a U.S. ban. Joining him are OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Uber’s Dara Khosrowshahi. SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who reportedly contributed nearly $300 million to Trump’s campaign, has remained a close ally.
This gathering of tech leaders marks a notable contrast to their last major public appearance together: the 2020 congressional hearings scrutinizing their companies. Many of these firms continue to grapple with significant government issues, including antitrust lawsuits, regulatory disputes, and trade tariffs.
Senators Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bennett recently criticized the executives in a letter, accusing them of cozying up to the Trump administration to avoid scrutiny and curry favour. OpenAI’s Sam Altman, one of the letter’s recipients, responded on social media: “Funny they never sent me one of these for contributing to Democrats.”
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While Trump appears to be enjoying his newfound rapport with tech leaders—boasting on social media, “Everybody wants to be my friend!!!”—his circle has not unanimously embraced this development.
Steve Bannon, Trump’s former White House chief strategist, openly criticized Musk, calling him a “truly evil guy” and suggesting he should be ousted from Trump’s orbit. Bannon told ABC News, “Trump broke the oligarchs, and they surrendered. We can’t let them weasel back in.”
