NEW YORK โ During President Donald Trumpโs inauguration, some of the most prestigious seats were notably occupied by leading tech executives, who rank among the wealthiest individuals globally.
This marks a departure from customary practices, particularly for a president who has portrayed himself as a defender of the working class. Typically, seats in such a prime location are designated for the presidentโs family, former presidents, and other distinguished guests.
Images released show these tech moguls socializing with various members of Trumpโs Cabinet, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. designated for health secretary and Marco Rubio taking on the role of secretary of state.
In one snapshot, Rubio can be seen in the background gazing at the elite array of tech leaders. Metaโs CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his spouse, Priscilla Chan, stood next to Amazonโs CEO Jeff Bezos and his fiancรฉe, Lauren Sรกnchez, alongside Googleโs Sundar Pichai and Elon Muskโan individual closely aligned with Trumpโs administration. Musk is not only recognized as the richest person globally but also oversees Tesla, SpaceX, and the social media platform X.
Appleโs CEO Tim Cook and TikTokโs CEO Shou Zi Chew were also present at the Capitol during the event.
Historically, billionaires have played significant roles in national politics, often financing campaigns, including that of Trumpโs Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris. Recently, President Joe Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to George Soros, a prominent billionaire supporter of progressive movements.
The inauguration showcased the potentially influential involvement of the richest individuals in the new administration. Biden, in his farewell speech, cautioned that the nation is becoming an oligarchy dominated by tech billionaires with alarming amounts of influence and power.
In a statement made from the Oval Office, Trump dismissed Bidenโs critique, asserting that tech leaders originally supported Democrats until they concluded that Biden was out of his depth.
โThey turned their backs on him,โ Trump remarked. โThey were all with him, every last one, and now they are all backing me.โ
Although Trump received substantial financial contributions from these tech executives and their companies for his inaugural committeeโalong with over $200 million in support from Musk during his presidential campaignโhe asserted that he was not reliant on their funding and insisted they would not gain any favors in return.
โTheyโre not going to receive anything from me,โ Trump stated. โI donโt need the money, but I genuinely wish for our nation to prosper, and these are intelligent individuals who create numerous job opportunities.โ