About the Tech Billionaires at the Inauguration
Why the Who and When Matter More than Left and Right
The Rundown↓
KNOW that inaugural donations are a way to signal cooperation and gain favor with a new presidential administration.
REALIZE that Trump’s presidency coincides with a consequential window of AI development.
EXPLORE OpenAI’s “Economic Blueprint” and The Free Press podcast with Marc Andreessen.
Details↓
An extraordinary number of tech CEOs were prominent during Monday’s presidential inauguration ceremony. It was easy to catch a glimpse of Tim Cook (Apple), Elon Musk (X, Tesla, SpaceX), Sundar Pichai (Google), Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), and Jeff Bezos (Amazon). Less visible, but still present were Shou Chew (TikTok) and Sam Altman (OpenAI). Many of them not only attended, but also donated large amounts of money to the inaugural fund.
Inaugurations have become a way for people of influence and affluence to congratulate the victor, signal cooperation, and gain favor in hope of shaping policy with the incoming administration. It’s considered a gesture of good will that’s politically safer than a campaign contribution. Other than a dip in 2021 related to COVID, inaugural donations have increased over the years with Trump’s 2025 inaugural fund becoming the largest in presidential history.
Commentary↓
Reactions to this particular group’s overtures are all over the place. Cynics mock it as kissing the king’s ring. The previous presidential administration warns of a tech oligarchy. Others see it as a sign that tech is moving right politically. However, left/right binary commentary can blind us from the bigger picture.
What brings these tech giants together now? Let’s highlight two key commonalities. First, Trump is a businessman seen by them as a champion of innovation, deregulation, prosperity, and American exceptionalism. The previous administration was perceived as… none of that.
For insight into those perceptions, check out The Free Press podcast with Bari Weiss and guest Mark Andreessen, a venture capitalist who serves on Meta’s board of directors (or with Joe Rogan if you prefer). It offers great insight into the tech world’s recent experiences with both administrations and why, after years of donating to Democrats, he endorsed Trump in 2024.
Second, and most importantly, Trump’s second term coincides with one of the most pivotal times in history as these companies develop a technology with the potential for greater global impact than any other innovation before it… artificial intelligence.
The tech leaders on stage at the inauguration believe AI has great promise for humanity. Some say Artificial General Intelligence (when AI matches or surpasses human cognitive abilities) is only a matter of time and that it will likely happen within Trump’s presidential window. At the same time they ask: Whether risk or reward, do we want the Chinese Communist Party leading the way, or the United States? It’s an argument OpenAI spells out in their “Economic Blueprint” for “AI in America” which they released last week stating:
We believe that building enough infrastructure is not just vital for ensuring that AI around the world is based on US rather than China-based technology—itʼs an unmissable opportunity to catalyze a re-industrialization of the US.
The first significant step in that direction with the Trump administration happened yesterday, when OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, was part of announcing a $500 billion “Stargate” AI infrastructure project funded by OpenAI, Oracle, and Softbank.
Much of the press conference talked about the potential of curing disease, but national security is a huge part of OpenAI’s vision. As posted yesterday on their website: “This project will not only support the re-industrialization of the United States but also provide a strategic capability to protect the national security of America and its allies.” It signals an all-in approach on AI development and the new digital gold rush. Anyone need a shovel?
What do you think? Is AI over-hyped or will it transform the world? Is this about progress or profit? Will it eliminate or create jobs? Leave a comment below.
Postscript↓
Our hope is to eventually develop an online course on AI. In the meantime, check out our first online course on social media with a Behind the Curtains subscription. We’re running a $99 subscription special until the end of January.
After posting, I added in a link to Mark Andreessen on the Joe Rogan podcast.