On Monday, President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in for the second time, and among the attendees at his inauguration will be the three wealthiest individuals in the world—Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg.
These billionaires, who have a history of tensions with Trump and each other, will be seated just feet away from the president-elect during the event.
The trio of tech giants—Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX; Bezos, founder of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post; and Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta (formerly Facebook)—have had notable interactions with Trump in the past. Trump once derisively referred to Bezos as “Jeff Bozo,” and he threatened to imprison Zuckerberg for life. Musk and Zuckerberg, meanwhile, have engaged in their own public spats, including Musk’s challenge to Zuckerberg for a cage match, which never came to fruition.
Notably, Bezos and Zuckerberg have reportedly become more cordial in recent years, while Musk and Bezos continue to compete in the burgeoning space industry through their respective companies, SpaceX and Blue Origin. Despite past tensions, the billionaires will all play prominent roles at the inauguration, with Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg seated on the platform next to Trump’s cabinet nominees and other high-profile figures.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Musk responded to news about the tech billionaires’ presence at the inauguration, simply stating, “Honored.” Together, the combined net worth of Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg is estimated at around $874 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index.
The inauguration has become a focal point for tech industry leaders seeking to build relationships with the incoming administration. Zuckerberg is co-hosting a black-tie reception for Republican donors to celebrate the event, and both Amazon and Meta have contributed $1 million each to Trump’s inaugural fund. Bezos, who has expressed optimism about a second Trump administration, is hopeful that reduced regulations will benefit his businesses.
In addition to the official inauguration festivities, Silicon Valley tech executives are also organizing a range of private parties and events throughout Washington, further reflecting the growing influence of the tech sector in politics. These include events hosted by companies like Meta, Amazon, and Tesla, as well as gatherings for wealthy donors and supporters of Trump.
Fortune and the New York Times contributed to this report.
