Tech leaders Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg were given prominent seats at Donald Trump’s inauguration, sparking criticism of billionaire dominance in US politics.
January 21, 2025: A photograph featuring tech magnates Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg at Donald Trump’s inauguration as President of the United States has reignited discussions about the billionaire class’ influence on governance. Senator Bernie Sanders shared the image on X (formerly Twitter), asserting, “The billionaire class now controls our government.”
When I started talking about Oligarchy, many people didn't understand what I meant.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 20, 2025
Well, that's changed.
When the 3 wealthiest men in America sit behind Trump at his inauguration, everyone understands that the billionaire class now controls our government.
We must fight… pic.twitter.com/NuC3hnskQi
The image highlights how CEOs of leading tech giants were given prime seats at the event. Alongside Musk, Zuckerberg, and Bezos were Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, and X CEO Linda Yaccarino. According to Forbes, Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg rank as the three wealthiest individuals in the US, with Brin closely following at seventh place.
Also Read: Panama Canal Is Ours: President Mulino Slams Trump’s ‘Unfair’ Claims
“When I started talking about oligarchy, many people didn’t understand what I meant. Well, that’s changed,” Sanders wrote in his post. “When the three wealthiest men in America sit behind Trump at his inauguration, everyone understands that the billionaire class now controls our government. We must fight back.”
Also Read: Donald Trump Declares ‘Golden Age’ in Inaugural Speech, Announces Bold Policy Changes
This visible alignment marks a significant shift from the tech sector’s initial resistance to Trump during his first term. In the lead-up to the election, Trump had publicly clashed with some tech leaders, including threatening Meta CEO Zuckerberg with legal action over alleged election interference. However, since Trump’s reelection, many tech billionaires have seemingly recalibrated their strategies.
Musk has reportedly made significant contributions to Trump’s campaign and used his platform, X, to amplify pro-Trump voices. Meanwhile, Bezos, who owns The Washington Post, controversially halted the newspaper’s endorsement of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
This alignment also stems from major business interests tied to the US government. Musk’s SpaceX holds lucrative government contracts, Amazon’s AWS and Google manage government cloud services, and several tech giants, including Meta, Apple, and Amazon, face antitrust lawsuits.
“These are very wealthy people who have basically paid for access, which is something that they would do for any upcoming administration even if we all recognize Trump is very transactional,” Andrew Selepak, a media professor at the University of Florida, told AFP. “They’re making sure it’s very clear that their faces, names, and especially their money, are here,” he added.
As debates around corporate influence in politics intensify, Sanders’ post serves as a call to action for those concerned about the growing entanglement of wealth and governance.
Tags:
Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, US Politics, Tech Influence, Oligarchy, Big Tech, Antitrust Lawsuits, SpaceX, Amazon AWS, Meta, Apple, Google