President-elect Donald Trump launched his pre-inaugural celebrations on Monday with a church service at St John’s Church, attended by a host of tech billionaires and business leaders, including Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Apple’s Tim Cook, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, and Google’s Sundar Pichai.
Prominent figures like SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Uber’s Dara Khosrowshahi, and TikTok’s Shou Zi Chew were also present.
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson added to the high-profile gathering.
The event marked an unusual congregation of tech leaders who were once critical of Trump, particularly during his first term, on issues like immigration and climate change.
Many of the companies represented still face regulatory scrutiny, including antitrust lawsuits and tariff disputes. Critics, such as Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bennett, have accused the executives of attempting to “cozy up” to the Trump administration to sidestep scrutiny.
“How enduring the tech bromance proves and how far Trump will push on these issues remain open questions,” analysts said.
Not all in Trump’s circle welcomed the presence of tech magnates. Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon criticised Elon Musk, calling him a “truly evil guy” and claiming he had “surrendered” to the administration.
President-elect Trump, however, appeared pleased, posting on social media: “Everybody wants to be my friend!!!”
As the business world watches closely, Trump’s rekindled relationships with tech leaders may shape his administration’s approach to regulation and innovation.
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