Napoleon’s jokes never go out of style. Trump is returning to his loyal White House, while the Silicon Valley tech giants who once shunned him are now scrambling to pledge their loyalty and wealth to the “Great President.”
From Meta to Amazon, OpenAI to Perplexity AI, corporate giants, unicorn startups, and billionaires from the tech industry are lining up to donate millions of dollars in support of his inauguration.
1. TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year
In last month’s U.S. presidential election, former President and Republican candidate Donald Trump defeated sitting Vice President and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris by a significant margin to become president for the second time. Trump is the first person in a century to win re-election after leaving office.
Although pre-election polls indicated a tight race, the outcome was astonishing: Trump won decisively in all seven swing states, securing his path back to the White House. Just like in the 2016 election, the polls once again failed to capture Trump’s support. Moreover, he became the first Republican candidate in two decades to win the popular vote.
With his re-election, Trump’s life has soared back to its peak. As the newly elected president, he has effectively dismissed numerous federal lawsuits against him, thanks to presidential immunity, and is poised to become one of the most powerful figures in the U.S. and the world over the next four years.
As president-elect, Trump is already enjoying the prestige and attention befitting a head of state, overshadowing the still-serving President Joe Biden. He was invited to France to attend the Notre Dame Cathedral restoration ceremony, where he engaged with other world leaders as if he were already in office, while President Biden did not attend.
Last week, Trump was named TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year, the second time he has received the honor, following his win in 2016. To celebrate, Trump rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange last Thursday, turning the event into a victory parade.
2. Corporate Titans Line Up to Congratulate
While Trump and his family were the undisputed stars of the NYSE event, the dozens of prominent U.S. business leaders standing behind him also captured attention. The executives present included Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser, Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg, Target CEO Brian Cornell, real estate mogul Robert Bigelow, and investment tycoon Bill Ackman, among others.
These leaders, who control the U.S. economy and dominate their respective industries, appeared more like star-struck fans as they clapped and cheered, eager for a chance to get close to the president-elect.
According to U.S. media reports, Trump’s campaign team received countless congratulatory and flattering calls from CEOs after the election. Many expressed their desire to visit Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to learn about his new administration’s policy plans.
This demand has also created opportunities for political lobbyists. Members of Trump’s inner circle are facilitating connections between corporate executives and the president-elect, offering advice on desired policy changes or even seeking advisory roles for these executives in Trump’s administration.
Trump’s senior advisor Jason Miller told business leaders at The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council this week that the businessman-turned-president has a great affinity for CEOs and encouraged them to reach out to Trump directly.
Corporations like Boeing, Chevron, Meta, Amazon, and OpenAI have all donated millions to support Trump’s inaugural committee. Under U.S. law, the committee must disclose donations over $200, and there are no limits on such contributions, making them popular among companies and individuals eager to curry favor with the incoming administration.
Top donors giving $1 million or more to the inaugural committee receive special rewards, including access to inaugural balls, parade tickets, and other VIP events.
3. Zuckerberg Takes the Lead
Although Silicon Valley’s tech giants did not travel to New York to congratulate Trump at the NYSE, they are employing other means—donations and resources—to court the future decision-maker of U.S. economic and foreign policy for the next four years.
Despite the 4,000-kilometer distance between Silicon Valley and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, which requires over 10 hours of round-trip travel, tech billionaires have shown no hesitation in making the journey to meet the new president.
Among these tech moguls are individuals who were once Trump’s staunch adversaries, even publicly threatened with retaliation. Now, with Trump’s victory, they are eager to mend fences and avoid punitive measures once he takes office.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in particular, demonstrated a strong sense of urgency. Known for his fitness regimen, Zuckerberg is literally the fastest runner among tech billionaires. Last year, he completed a 5-kilometer charity run in Silicon Valley in an impressive 19 minutes and 34 seconds—a top-tier time even among amateur runners.
Zuckerberg was among the first to reach Florida, securing a dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago the day before Thanksgiving. Clearly, his relationship with Trump has improved significantly.
A Meta spokesperson said Zuckerberg congratulated Trump during the meeting and expressed a desire to collaborate with the new administration. “This is an important moment for the future of American innovation,” the spokesperson said, adding that Zuckerberg appreciated the opportunity to meet with Trump’s team.
To secure this opportunity, Meta donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund. Joel Kaplan, Meta’s VP of Global Public Policy, who previously served as deputy chief of staff for President George W. Bush, is credited with orchestrating Republican lobbying efforts for the company. Meta has also hired one of the GOP’s leading strategic consulting firms.
Notably, the day after Zuckerberg’s dinner, the Trump family had Thanksgiving dinner with Elon Musk’s family. The special relationship between Trump and Musk is evident, given Musk’s nearly $200 million in support of Trump’s campaign and his use of the recently acquired Twitter as a pivotal campaign platform.
4. Rebuilding Relationships in Months
Rebuilding ties with Trump is crucial for Zuckerberg and Meta. It’s no secret that Trump has been one of Zuckerberg’s fiercest critics in recent years. Trump has publicly lambasted Meta for suppressing conservative voices, including his own, during the 2020 election and even threatened to imprison Zuckerberg.
In July, Trump declared on his Truth Social platform that he would aggressively pursue election fraud perpetrators if re-elected, explicitly warning Zuckerberg to “watch out.” In his book Saving America, Trump accused Zuckerberg of conspiring against him in 2020, suggesting Zuckerberg “should spend the rest of his life in prison.”
While Trump’s re-election might have seemed like a nightmare for Zuckerberg, the tech mogul has been proactive in laying the groundwork for reconciliation. Following an assassination attempt on Trump in July, Zuckerberg publicly praised Trump as a “badass” and reportedly called him twice to express support.
In August, Zuckerberg also publicly apologized for Meta’s handling of certain issues during the 2020 election, including suppressing stories about Hunter Biden’s laptop and censoring vaccine and virus-origin discussions under government pressure.
During the dinner at Mar-a-Lago, Zuckerberg listened to a rendition of the national anthem performed by the “January 6 Choir,” composed of Trump supporters involved in the Capitol riots. Trump has promised to pardon these individuals.
Although Trump has not publicly praised Zuckerberg’s efforts, his silence on the Meta CEO is seen as a positive sign.
5. Bezos Offers a Tribute
Another tech billionaire eager to rebuild ties with Trump is Amazon founder and chairman Jeff Bezos. Bezos plans to visit Mar-a-Lago next week with his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, for a dinner with Trump.
Ahead of the meeting, Bezos made a generous gesture: Amazon announced a $1 million donation to Trump’s inaugural committee and pledged to stream the inauguration on its Prime Video platform.
This is a dramatic shift from four years ago when President Biden’s inaugural committee rejected corporate donations, holding a subdued ceremony due to the pandemic.
The strained relationship between Bezos and Trump dates back more than a decade, with Trump criticizing Bezos’s purchase of The Washington Post and its relentless negative coverage of him. Bezos once joked about sending Trump to space.
During Trump’s first term, he repeatedly attacked Amazon for exploiting USPS shipping rates and accused the company of paying too little in taxes. These comments led to sharp stock declines for Amazon. Additionally, a $10 billion Pentagon cloud contract awarded to Microsoft was rumored to have been influenced by Trump, prompting Amazon to sue.
However, in recent years, Bezos has worked to mend ties with Trump. After moving to Miami in 2023, Bezos became neighbors with Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner. The families have interacted frequently, with the Trumps attending Bezos’s 60th birthday party.
Before the election, Bezos also delivered a significant favor to Trump. Just before the election, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times—two major liberal newspapers—announced they would not endorse Kamala Harris, breaking decades-long tradition.
While the official reason was neutrality, this sudden shift was seen as a major blow to Harris at a critical time. Despite backlash from staff and readers, the decisions underscored the influence of their billionaire owners, Bezos and biotech magnate Patrick Soon-Shiong.
Other donors to Trump’s inaugural committee include OpenAI and Perplexity AI, both of which contributed $1 million. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated, “President Trump will lead our country into the AI era, and I’m eager to support his efforts to ensure America remains at the forefront.”
While Altman and Trump have no prior ties, the donation is seen as a precautionary move amidst Altman’s ongoing legal battle with Musk, one of Trump’s key supporters. Altman has publicly emphasized the importance of fair competition in the AI sector and expressed confidence that Musk would not misuse political influence against rivals.
