Tech titans scramble to be inside Trump's tent
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Donald Trump and Elon Musk watch the launch of the a SpaceX Starship rocket on Nov. 19 in Brownsville, Texas. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Tech titans with billions at stake are scrambling for access and influence with President-elect Trump in the wake of his reelection.
Why it matters: Trump's victory will have enormous consequences for the tech industry — particularly the nascent AI boom — as it grapples with federal regulations and antitrust efforts.
- The Big Tech CEOs who rushed to congratulate Trump after his victory have steadily worked to insinuate themselves into his orbit since then.
- Most recently, Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos told the New York Times DealBook Summit Wednesday that he's "very optimistic" about Trump's second term and his deregulatory agenda.
- Trump "seems to have a lot of energy around reducing regulation," Bezos said. "And my point of view is, if I can help him do that, I'm going to help him."
The big picture: Trump has frequently had an adversarial relationship with tech industry titans, previously lambasting Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Bezos' Amazon, and Google.
- In a sign of changes to come, Trump's second presidential campaign was bolstered by one of the tech industry's biggest heavyweights — Elon Musk.
- Musk is now set to play a role in the new Trump administration, helping lead the advisory panel the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
State of play: Bezos isn't the only tech titan cozying up to Trump. Late last month, Meta CEO Zuckerberg dined with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence.
- Zuckerberg has been "very clear about his desire to be a supporter of, and a participant in, this change that we're seeing all around America," Trump's incoming deputy chief of policy Stephen Miller told Fox News last week.
- Venture capital billionaire Marc Andreessen, who donated to Trump's campaign and spent Election Night at Mar-a-Lago, is helping recruit staff for Musk's DOGE advisory panel, the Financial Times reported.
- Billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel told Bari Weiss' "Honestly" podcast after the election that Musk's embrace of Trump helped many in Silicon Valley feel safe publicly supporting him.
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