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Big Tech’s gestures toward President-elect Donald Trump may seem like a softening of their stance, but their motives remain rooted in pragmatism rather than genuine support.
According to NPR, several tech executives have already pledged substantial donations to Trump’s inauguration fund. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced a $1 million donation following similar pledges from Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. Google CEO Sundar Pichai is also reportedly preparing to meet with Trump soon.
Margaret O’Mara, a Silicon Valley historian from the University of Washington, told NPR these actions are a strategic move. “It’s just a recognition that there’s not much to be gained in outspoken opposition, but perhaps there is something to be gained by being very clear about your support and hope that Trump does well,” she explained.
Both Zuckerberg and Bezos have had contentious relationships with Trump in the past. For instance, Facebook banned Trump for two years following the events of January 6, 2021. In the 2020 election cycle, revelations from the House Judiciary Committee showed the FBI had worked with Facebook to suppress news about Hunter Biden’s laptop.
Bezos, as owner of The Washington Post, has overseen countless scathing editorials targeting Trump. However, their calculated actions before and after the 2024 election reveal a keen awareness of the political winds.
In July 2024, Zuckerberg stunned many when he praised Trump’s reaction to being shot in Pennsylvania during an interview with Bloomberg Television, calling it “one of the most bada** things I’ve ever seen in my life.” Likewise, The Washington Post notably declined to officially endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, a rare deviation in its typically partisan stance.
O’Mara attributes these changes to self-interest. “The tech industry wants to get the regulatory threat off their backs and go back to self-regulating… [It’s] how these companies got so big,” she said.
While the shift from Bezos and Zuckerberg appears purely opportunistic, Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), seems to have undergone a genuine political transformation. Musk’s support of Trump has been consistent, progressing from donating to Trump’s campaign to actively advising the incoming administration. Unlike the calculated gestures of his peers, Musk’s political journey appears authentic, reflecting his evolving worldview.
Ultimately, this alignment from tech leaders may not stem from a sincere belief in Trump’s vision but rather from a desire to protect their business interests under his administration. As O’Mara put it, their focus remains firmly on staying in Trump’s good graces to avoid regulatory challenges.
