The tech companies most at risk from Trump are contributing to his inauguration fund.

The tech companies most at risk from Trump are contributing to his inauguration fund.
The tech companies most at risk from Trump are contributing to his inauguration fund.
  • The CEOs of Amazon, Meta, and OpenAI, Sam Altman, have each pledged a $1 million donation to Trump's inauguration fund.
  • Trump, who has been critical of certain tech companies, has been working to improve relations with the industry's executives.
  • Elon Musk, a supporter of Trump, is in a legal dispute with Altman, who could potentially have significant influence in the administration.

Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos have a history of conflict with President-elect Donald Trump, while Sam Altman is currently embroiled in a legal dispute with Elon Musk, who is seen as having a significant influence on Trump's second administration.

This week, there were announcements about contributions to Trump's inauguration fund.

Altman stated on Friday that he is eager to support President Trump's efforts to lead the country into the age of AI and has planned to make a personal donation of $1 million to the fund.

The company has confirmed to CNBC that it donated $1 million to the inauguration, and it is also reported that the company is planning to donate an additional $1 million, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

Trump has been critical of tech companies and indicated that he won't back down from enforcing antitrust laws. He has appointed Gail Slater, who advised him on tech policy during his first term, to lead the Department of Justice's antitrust division.

"Gail Slater has been nominated by Trump to lead the Department of Justice's antitrust team in continuing the fight against Big Tech's abuses, which have stifled competition and infringed on the rights of Americans for years."

In the past, some of Trump's harshest language has been directed towards Amazon and Meta.

Trump frequently criticized Bezos and his companies, Amazon and The Washington Post, during his first term, accusing them of evading taxes or spreading false information. Additionally, Trump frequently accused Amazon of using the US Postal Service to deliver packages to customers, claiming that the company was responsible for the post office's financial difficulties.

In 2019, Amazon accused Trump of attacking the company behind the scenes, resulting in the loss of a multibillion-dollar Department of Defense contract known as JEDI. Prior to the 2016 election, Bezos criticized Trump's behavior, stating that it undermined our democracy. After Trump accused Bezos of using The Post as a tax shelter, Bezos offered to send Trump into space on one of his rockets.

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Last week, at the New York Times' DealBook Summit, Bezos expressed optimism about President-elect Trump, predicting a more favorable regulatory climate in the upcoming administration.

"Bezos expressed optimism on stage, stating that he has a lot of energy in reducing regulation. He added that if he can assist in this effort, he will do so."

Trump has referred to Bezos as "Jeff Bozo" and nicknamed Zuckerberg "Zuckerschmuck."

In the aftermath of his defeat in the 2020 election, Trump filed class-action lawsuits against Facebook, Twitter, and Google, along with their CEOs, alleging that they had suppressed his free speech. All three companies had previously suspended Trump's accounts following the January 6, 2021 riots at the Capitol.

In March, Trump labeled Facebook "the enemy of the people" and accused it of silencing conservative voices, during an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box."

The tech sector, including CEOs such as Tim Cook, Satya Nadella, and Sundar Pichai, publicly congratulated Trump following his victory in November.

Microsoft declined to comment on whether it's participating in the inauguration. Apple and Google did not respond to CNBC's requests for comment.

OpenAI and xAI were founded by Altman and Musk, respectively, with OpenAI initially being a nonprofit. However, the two have since parted ways, with Altman remaining as CEO of OpenAI and Musk starting a rival AI company.

In March, Musk accused OpenAI, along with co-founders Altman and Brockman, of breaching contract and fiduciary duty. He argued that the project had been transformed into a for-profit entity largely controlled by principal shareholder Microsoft, and is seeking to prevent the change in structure through legal action.

On Friday, OpenAI responded to criticism by stating in a blog post titled "Elon Musk's vision for OpenAI," that in 2017, Musk not only desired but also created a for-profit structure to serve as the company's proposed new structure.

Altman is worried that Musk spent over $250 million to support Trump's campaign and may now be in a position to influence AI regulation in favor of his businesses as the head of the "Department of Government Efficiency."

The "White House A.I. & Crypto Czar" has been appointed by Trump, who announced the addition of venture investor and podcaster David Sacks to his administration.

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by Ashley Capoot

Technology