Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos all seen in single frame at Donald Trump's inauguration

A group of tech billionaires and high-profile leaders were present in Washington DC, for US President Donald Trump’s inauguration. The event began with a church service at St John’s Church, attended by prominent figures such as Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Apple’s Tim Cook, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, and Google’s Sundar Pichai. These tech leaders were joined by media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

What makes this gathering notable is the history of criticism many of these tech leaders had towards Trump during his first term, especially on issues concerning climate change and immigration.

Later, some executives, including Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, joined Trump at the Capitol. Musk reportedly contributed nearly $300 million to Trump’s campaign. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was also expected to attend amidst potential US bans on his company. OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Uber’s Dara Khosrowshahi were also present. Altman, who has made donations to both political parties, responded to accusations from Democratic senators of aligning with Trump to avoid scrutiny, stating on social media, “Funny they never sent me one of these for donating to Democrats.”

The gathering is significant as it marks a rare public meeting of tech leaders in Washington since the tense 2020 congressional hearing over their companies’ influence. Many of these firms remain under government scrutiny, facing antitrust cases and regulatory challenges. Their presence at Trump’s inauguration has led to speculation about attempts to improve relations with his administration.

However, not all in Trump’s circle are pleased. Steve Bannon, his former chief strategist, criticized Elon Musk, labelling him a "truly evil guy" and vowed to oust him before Inauguration Day. Bannon claimed Trump had "broken" the tech billionaires and that their attendance was a sign of capitulation.

Trump’s interactions with Big Tech leaders could result in significant changes or may just be temporary. Currently, the president-elect appears to relish the attention, having posted on social media last month, "Everybody wants to be my friend!!!" Whether these relationships will persist and how Trump intends to address the tech industry’s legal and regulatory challenges remains uncertain. What is clear is that both parties are cautiously exploring this unexpected alliance.