The thinking heads of tech were gathered for the nomination, including Tim Cook who nevertheless remained in the background.
It’s a rare image and it takes the inauguration of an American president to bring these little people together within the same rank. For Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg (Meta) and his wife, Jeff Bezos (Amazon) and his partner, Sundar Pichai (Google) and finally Elon Musk (X, Tesla, etc.) were gathered side by side. Note that Apple boss Tim Cook was also present in the audience but not behind President Trump.
The photo is all the more valuable as the dissensions are strong, for example between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, who both wanted to resolve their differences in a cage fight, which was ultimately abandoned.
In the ranks of Trump
The image also serves as a reminder that the tech giants ended up getting closer to the Trump camp, worried about the repercussions that head-on opposition could have. If Elon Musk has been an official supporter since the assassination attempt against Trump, the others ended up switching as the election approached.
Jeff Bezos, boss of the Washington Post, imposed the neutrality of his newspaper, which had until now been committed to the Democrats.
-The most remarkable reversal of opinion remains Mark Zuckerberg, who in recent weeks has initiated a Trumpian shift both personally and professionally. Contrary to his usual speeches, he pleaded for less moderation on these networks and more “masculine energy” in American society.
As for Google boss Sundar Pichai, he knew Trump’s detestation of his company, which he also wanted to dismantle.
Tech bosses are thus probably avoiding a tough fight against the American administration. It was worth a historic photo.
Thomas Leroy Journalist BFM Business
