Prominent figures and corporations in Silicon Valley are reportedly making significant contributions to the inauguration fund of President-elect Donald Trump.
Among these are Sam Altman, the CEO of Open AI, Meta, the company owned by Mark Zuckerberg, and Amazon, the e-commerce giant led by Jeff Bezos. Each of these entities is expected to donate a hefty sum of $1 million to the fund.
According to The Post Millennial, Altman has expressed his intention to personally contribute to the fund. In a statement to NPR, he said, "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead." This commitment to the advancement of AI technology aligns with conservative values of fostering innovation and economic growth.
Amazon's contribution comes as Bezos, the company's executive chairman, prepares for a meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. The Wall Street Journal reported that Zuckerberg instructed Meta to make the fund contribution. An individual close to Bezos revealed that "Bezos is donating through Amazon" to the fund. Furthermore, Amazon plans to broadcast the inauguration via its Prime Video service, broadening access to this significant event.
This wave of support from Silicon Valley is a recent development, with tech leaders increasingly aligning with Trump over the past year. Zuckerberg, following an assassination attempt on Trump, referred to him as a "bad*ss" and later met with him at Mar-a-Lago. Bezos, owner of the Washington Post, declined to endorse Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and extended his congratulations to Trump after his November victory.
At a New York Times conference in early December, Bezos expressed optimism about Trump's second term and voiced support for the Department of Government Efficiency, co-led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Zuckerberg, in an August letter to Congress, revealed that the Biden administration "repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain COVID-19 content, including humor and satire, and expressed a lot of frustration with our teams when we didn't agree." Both Meta and Amazon have faced criticism for their handling of certain news stories, further highlighting the tension between these tech giants and the current administration.
These developments underscore a shift in Silicon Valley's political alignment, with tech leaders increasingly supporting conservative values and leaders. Their substantial donations to Trump's inauguration fund signal a commitment to fostering a political environment conducive to technological innovation and economic growth.
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