Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg are set to attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, marking a significant moment in the evolving relationship between the tech industry and the incoming administration, the Washington Post reports.
The trio of Silicon Valley moguls will be seated on the dais, alongside former presidents, Trump’s family, Cabinet appointees, and key lawmakers, according to an anonymous Trump official.
Their presence at the swearing-in ceremony highlights a notable shift in the dynamic between the tech leaders and Trump, following years of strained relations during his first term. Throughout his presidency, Trump frequently criticized major tech companies and their influence, but now, many executives are seeking to build stronger ties with the incoming administration.
Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has been particularly visible in his support for Trump, even referring to himself as Trump’s “first buddy.” Musk has participated in several high-profile meetings with the president-elect, playing an active role in the transition process. Both Musk and Zuckerberg have visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, and Amazon and Meta have each made significant contributions to Trump’s inaugural fund, with Musk being the largest political donor of the 2024 election cycle.
Although Bezos stepped down as CEO of Amazon in 2021 to focus on his space exploration venture, Blue Origin, he still holds a leadership role as Amazon’s board chair. Bezos and Amazon have made adjustments to their public stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), including removing references to diversity from the company’s website and scaling back commitments to supporting marginalized communities. These moves have sparked discussions on whether Amazon is attempting to align more closely with Trump and his advisors, who have been vocal critics of corporate DEI initiatives.
Similarly, Zuckerberg has implemented sweeping changes at Meta in anticipation of Trump’s return to office, such as dismantling the company’s fact-checking program and reversing policies related to content moderation. Zuckerberg’s actions have led to speculation about his efforts to navigate the upcoming administration’s policies.
