Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg, three of the richest and most influential entrepreneurs in the world, will be present at Donald Trump’s inauguration as President of the United States on the upcoming Monday, January 20. The news was confirmed by NBC News, which also reported that the three moguls will have a prominent spot on the guest platform, alongside members of Trump’s new cabinet and other officials.
Relationship with Trump: Investments and Support
Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX, has a fairly close relationship with Trump. In fact, Musk was appointed co-leader of a new temporary advisory body called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) within the Trump administration. Additionally, Musk has donated over 250 million dollars to Trump’s presidential campaign and publicly supported him back in July.
On the other hand, Jeff Bezos, creator of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post, has tried to remain neutral when it comes to politics. Although some of his collaborators wanted to support Kamala Harris, the elected vice president, Bezos decided not to endorse any candidate during the election. Nevertheless, Amazon made a donation of one million dollars to Trump’s inaugural fund and will broadcast the ceremony through Prime Video.
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta (formerly known as Facebook), has also been in contact with the new administration. According to Forbes, Meta also donated one million dollars to Trump’s inaugural fund. Furthermore, Zuckerberg has adjusted his lobbying team and content moderation policies to better align with the Trump administration. In fact, Zuckerberg will be co-hosting a gala along with Miriam Adelson, a major donor to the Republican Party.
Rivalries in Technology
Although these three entrepreneurs will be together at the ceremony, their relationship is not exactly one of friendship. Musk and Bezos are in intense competition in the space industry. Both run companies focused on space travel, such as SpaceX (Musk’s company) and Blue Origin (Bezos’ company), and they are constantly competing to launch rockets into space.
On the other hand, Zuckerberg and Musk are investing billions of dollars into the field of artificial intelligence. Additionally, in the world of social media, Musk became a rival to Zuckerberg when he bought X (formerly known as Twitter) in 2022.
To make matters worse, Amazon and Meta also compete in the fields of advertising and e-commerce, adding more tension between these tech giants.
Notable Absences
Despite the presence of these three tech moguls, not all celebrities will attend the ceremony. One prominent figure who has decided not to participate is Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States. Her decision to not attend contrasts with the presence of Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg, who are preparing to celebrate Trump’s inauguration.
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