It’s not just Americans bracing for another four years of President-elect Donald Trump—Big Tech is already rolling out the red carpet. Companies like Meta, Amazon, and OpenAI are showering Trump’s inaugural fund with million-dollar donations. Even Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, who famously clashed with Trump, is on board, pledging $1 million and planning to stream the inauguration on Prime.
Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, called Trump’s win a chance to “lead America into the age of AI.” Meanwhile, Elon Musk has gone all in, donating a jaw-dropping $277 million to Trump and Republican allies. Musk is even co-leading Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency (yes, DOGE) alongside billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy.
The tech world seems to have shifted gears. In 2017, Trump was the industry’s enemy. Now? CEOs are dining at Mar-a-Lago and lining up to shake hands. But why?
For starters, Trump has promised to repeal Biden’s 2023 AI regulations, giving Big Tech more freedom to operate. He’s also teased support for cryptocurrency and AI in national security. But critics fear this coziness could let billionaires shape policies that benefit them, not the public.
While Trump’s relationship with tech may seem like progress, some worry it’s a step toward an oligarchy, where billionaires hold the reins of power. With layoffs and diversity programs already shrinking in tech, this alliance may only deepen existing inequalities.
Is Big Tech helping shape the future—or just padding their wallets? Only time will tell.
