This is the fortune of Zuckerberg, Bezos, Musk and Pichai, the magnates in Trump’s inauguration
The past January 20Donald Trump assumed his second term as president of the United States at the Inauguration Ceremony held at the Washington DC Capitol. Among the attendees were some of the most influential businessmen in the world, who were located in seats next to senior officials and the presidential family. Elon Musk was in the front row of the event.Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai and Shou Zi Chew, reflecting a rapprochement of the technology sector with the new administration.
The presence of these magnates did not go unnoticed. According to Bloombergthese entrepreneurs lead some of the most influential companies in the world, such as Amazon, Tesla, Meta, Google and TikTokaccumulating fortunes that exceed 200,000 million dollars in several cases. Their attendance not only reinforces the idea that the Trump administration will have a pro-business agendabut could also anticipate a greater influence of the technology sector in the government policies in the coming years.
One of the most active attendees was Elon Muskwho in addition to witnessing the ceremony, gave a speech at a later rallyensuring that its objective is to work in significant changes in the country. Musk was appointed as advisor in the Department of Government Efficiencyan agency focused on reducing federal spending, including programs like Medicare, Social Security and veterans benefits.
With a fortune of 449 billion dollars, Elon Musk He remains the richest man on the planet, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Is CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, X Corp (formerly Twitter) and Neuralinkin addition to owning a majority stake in The Boring Company and the artificial intelligence firm xAI. According to BloombergMusk owns 13% of Teslaas well as 42% of SpaceXcompany valued at 350 billion dollars.
Musk has been a central figure in Trump’s inauguration. During a rally on the opening day, the businessman declared: “What matters going forward is to make significant changes, cement them and establish the foundations so that the United States will be strong forever”. Besides, has been appointed as co-leader of the Department of Government Efficiencyan advisory body with the objective of reduce public spending and improve government management.
Jeff Bezoswith a fortune estimated at 245 billion dollars according to Bloombergis the second richest man in the world. He is the founder and CEO of amazona company that in 2023 recorded revenues of $574.8 billionconsolidating itself as the largest e-commerce platform in the world. Additionally, Bezos owns the aerospace company Blue Origin and from the diary The Washington Post.
Bezos attended the ceremony accompanied by his fiancee, Lauren Sanchezand he was seen talking with Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg before Trump’s inauguration. Although he has not taken an active role in politics, his presence at the event suggests a possible rapprochement with the new administration.
Bezos has maintained a discreet profile in politicsalthough in the past he has had friction with Trump, especially due to the former president’s criticism of The Washington Post. However, his participation in the inauguration indicates that he could seek a more pragmatic relationship with the government, especially on issues of trade, taxes and technology regulationsaccording to Bloomberg.
Mark Zuckerbergwith a fortune of 217 billion dollars according to Bloombergis the co-founder and CEO of Goalthe parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. His presence at Trump’s inauguration was no coincidence: Zuckerberg has strengthened his ties with the former president since his re-election in 2024.
After Trump’s victory, Zuckerberg met with the president and subsequently made business decisions aligned with the movement’s ideology MAGA. According to USA Today, One of his most notable actions was appoint Dana White, a Trump ally, to Meta’s board of directors. Additionally, the company has implemented changes to its content and moderation policyin line with positions defended by the former president.
Sundar PichaiCEO of Google and Alphabet Inc.has a fortune close to 1 billion dollarsaccording to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Since he took over leadership of Google in 2015, the company’s stock has risen more than 400%surpassing S&P 500 and Nasdaqaccording to Bloomberg.
Originating from Chennai, IndiaPichai had a humble childhood, growing up in a two bedroom apartment no television or car. His interest in technology began when his family acquired his first rotary phone when he was 12 years old. Later, he studied at Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpurbefore obtaining a scholarship for Stanford University and an MBA in Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
In 2004Pichai joined Google and played a key role in the development of google chrome and Google Toolbar. In 2015was elected CEO by Larry Pageand in 2019 He also assumed the direction of Alphabetthe parent company of Google. According to Bloombergits income comes largely from performance stocks and bondsmaking him one of the highest-paid executives in the world.
Shou Zi ChewCEO of TikTokhas maintained a more discreet profile compared to other inauguration attendees, but his presence is significant due to the US government’s attempts to ban the platform in the country. Recently, Donald Trump lifted the ban on the app for at least 75 days.
Although his fortune is smaller compared to Musk or Bezos, Chew has played a key role in TikTok’s global expansionconsolidating it as one of the most influential social networks in the world. His attendance at the investiture could indicate a ByteDance’s attempt to negotiate with the Trump administration to avoid new restrictions in the country.
