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By Andrew Stanton
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Tech companies and their CEOs are donating millions of dollars to President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration after giving less to President Joe Biden's inaugural fund four years earlier.
Why It Matters
Trump, who returns to the White House after January 20's inauguration, has raked in substantially more money from tech companies than Biden did for his 2021 inauguration.
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The large donations come after Trump has at times clashed with tech companies like Meta and Google. But they are seeking to build a more positive relationship with the president-elect, given that he will have the authority to issue executive orders and sign legislation that could have major implications for the tech industry.
What To Know
Apple CEO Tim Cook, who built rapport with Trump during his first four years in office, is donating $1 million to his inauguration, Axios reported this past Friday.
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Apple donated $43,200 to Biden's 2021 inauguration, according to a Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing that shows a list of individuals and companies that donated to his inaugural fund.
Cook is not the only tech CEO who has donated to Trump's inauguration. Amazon, Meta and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have also contributed $1 million, the Associated Press reported in December.
Meta and OpenAI did not donate to Biden's inauguration, while Amazon gave $276,000, according to the FEC filing.
Two companies that donated to Biden's inauguration have not confirmed any donations to Trump's 2025 inauguration. Google donated $337,500 and Microsoft gave $500,000 to Biden's inauguration, but they have not donated to Trump's this month.
Newsweek reached out to these companies for comment via email. A spokesperson for Microsoft declined to comment.
Trump's relationship with some of these tech companies has been tumultuous at times. After the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, when a group of Trump's supporters violently protested the 2020 election results, Trump's Facebook account was removed.
Trump has previously sparred with Amazon and its CEO, Jeff Bezos.
Trump wrote in a 2018 post to X (previously Twitter), "I have stated my concerns with Amazon long before the Election. Unlike others, they pay little or no taxes to state & local governments, use our Postal System as their Delivery Boy (causing tremendous loss to the U.S.), and are putting many thousands of retailers out of business!"
Trump has also criticized Bezos' leadership of The Washington Post and has described the newspaper as a "tax shelter" for the billionaire.
What People Are Saying
Sam Altman said in a statement reported by the AP: "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead."
Trump said at Mar-a-Lago press conference in December, according to The New York Times: "The first term, everybody was fighting me. In this term, everybody wants to be my friend."
Gwyneth Edwards, associate professor of strategic management at the University of Montreal's business school, previously told Newsweek: "Americans voted for Trump. The perceived danger of supporting him is...it seems, just perception."
What Happens Next
Congress is set to certify Trump's Electoral College victory on Monday, followed by his inauguration on January 20.
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