A host of tech billionaires and prominent figures from his inner circle joined President Donald Trump as he commenced his inauguration, starting with a church service on Monday morning.
Among those in attendance at St. John’s Church were Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Apple’s Tim Cook, and Google’s Sundar Pichai, all seated in prominent positions.
Other notable attendees included media mogul Rupert Murdoch, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Many of these business leaders were outspoken critics of Trump during his first term, particularly over issues such as climate change and immigration policies.
Later in the day, several tech leaders, including SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, joined Trump at the Capitol rotunda. Musk, who reportedly donated nearly $300 million to Trump’s campaign, appeared captivated by the historic setting, symbolising his growing alignment with the president.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is also expected to attend the inauguration as his company navigates ongoing challenges related to a potential US ban. Additional attendees include OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.
The gathering marks a rare scene, as the last major event in Washington to bring together so many tech leaders was the 2020 congressional hearing scrutinising their companies.
Despite their attendance, many of these firms continue to face significant challenges from the US government, including antitrust lawsuits, regulatory investigations, and tariff disputes.
Last week, Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bennet issued a letter accusing the tech executives of “cosying up to the incoming Trump administration to avoid scrutiny, limit regulation, and curry favour.”
In response, Sam Altman posted on social media: “Funny they never sent me one of these for contributing to Democrats.”
How long this newfound rapport between Trump and the tech world lasts remains uncertain, particularly as contentious issues persist. However, Trump appears to relish his current position, having described the situation on social media last month: “Everybody wants to be my friend!!!”
Not everyone in Trump’s camp is pleased with these developing relationships. On Sunday, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon criticised Musk, calling him a “truly evil guy” and suggesting he should be “run out of here by Inauguration Day.”
Speaking to ABC News, Bannon remarked, “I think most people in our movement see this as President Trump breaking the oligarchs. He broke them, and they surrendered.”
