If you’re watching the inauguration of Donald Trump today, you’ll likely see some familiar faces, as a bevy of tech CEOs have accepted invitations to be part of the dais at the Capitol to kick off the new administration.
Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency has set of a domino effect in the tech industry over the last few months. CEOs have quickly gotten in line since the November election, announcing new policies and ditching old features that cater to more “liberal” sensibilities.
Now, the big tech support is in full swing, with a parade of CEOs showing the world that the most innovative industry in the world is very much on board with this administration and whatever it plans to do.
Tech CEOs at Trump’s Inauguration
Trump is set to be sworn into the office of the presidency at 12pm EST in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. The event will be held indoors for the first time since 1985, with colder temperatures expected in the nation’s capital.
While the scores of Trump supporters that traveled to Washington D.C. to see the event will not be in attendance, there will be plenty of big tech CEOs in the spotlight, including:
This just in! View
the top business tech deals for 2025 👨💻
- Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla
- Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta
- Jeff Bezos, former CEO of Amazon
- Tim Cook, CEO of Apple
- Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google
- Shou Zi Chou, CEO of TikTok
- Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI
- Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Uber
Attending the inauguration certainly isn’t the only support that these CEOs have shown the incoming president. These CEOs and their companies have contributed $1 million each to the inaugural fund, likely to curry favor with Trump before his next run as president kicks off.
‘An Oligarchy Is Taking Shape’
In his farewell address to the nation, President Joe Biden warned about this kind of support, warning citizens that this “dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultra-wealthy people” should be at the top of mind throughout the next four years of Trump’s presidency.
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.” – President Joe Biden
To be fair, the US doesn’t really have a leg to stand on when refuting its oligarchic tendencies. The country has been cutting taxes for the rich while denying its citizens basic rights like healthcare and education through outrageous prices and predatory lending schemes. Still, there is mounting evidence that this will get notably worse under Trump, so I guess, thanks for the warning, Joe.
Is Tech Moving Right?
If it was just tech CEOs supporting Trump at his inauguration, that wouldn’t be entirely surprising. After all, billionaires are always going to stick together, right?
Well, it’s unfortunately a bit more pressing than that. As we’ve seen over the last few months, Trump’s rise in popularity has fueled a shift in the tech industry, encouraging decision makers to cater to the controversial president’s base on their platforms.
We’ve got Elon Musk gutting the hate speech protections on X, Mark Zuckerberg discontinuing the use of fact checkers on Facebook, and TikTok thanking the incoming president for helping it avoid the ban in the US. It’s safe to say these platforms are going to continue moving to the right until the rest of us have no choice but to find a suitable alternative.
