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See the billionaires and CEOs who attended Trump's inauguration

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at President Donald Trump's inauguration
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was among the rich and influential in attendance at Trump's inauguration.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

  • Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday.
  • Big names in business and tech attended the inauguration and other weekend celebrations.
  • Here are the billionaires and CEOs who attended Trump's inaugural ceremony.

Donald Trump was sworn in as president of the United States for the second time on Monday, and key business and tech leaders were there to watch it happen — and to try to get in his good graces.

It's a shift from recent years, when Big Tech leaders and Trump appeared more at odds.

Several of them even sat on the inaugural platform, getting better seats than some of Trump's cabinet appointees.

Tesla's Elon Musk, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, Google's Sundar Pichai, and Amazon's Jeff Bezos were among those seated on the inaugural platform. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in contrast, reportedly watched from an overflow room.

Here are the billionaires and CEOs who attended Trump's inauguration.

Elon Musk, Tesla, SpaceX, and X

Elon Musk spoke onstage during an inauguration event at Capital One Arena
Elon Musk attended the ceremony and spoke onstage during an inauguration event at Capital One Arena.

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Elon Musk, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO who spent hundreds of millions helping to elect Trump, attended the inauguration and spoke at an inaugural rally Monday.

Musk has been a frequent visitor to Trump's Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, since Trump was reelected.

Trump tapped Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, though Ramaswamy confirmed Monday he's leaving DOGE.

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta

Mark Zuckerberg (C), his wife Priscilla Chan (L) and Lauren Sánchez (R) were among those seated on the inaugural platform.
Mark Zuckerberg (C) with his wife Priscilla Chan (L) and Lauren Sánchez (R), were among those seated on the inaugural platform.

Saul Loeb-Pool/Getty Images

Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, attended the inauguration ceremony and sat on the platform.

Later on Monday, Zuckerberg posted a photo of himself and Chan dressed for an inauguration event with the caption "Optimistic and celebrating," alongside an American flag emoji.

Meta was one of the first major companies to donate $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund, and has started 2025 with a slew of changes that appear to be influenced by Trump's politics.

Zuckerberg dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in November, and was "very keen to play an active role" in the president's tech policymaking, Meta's then-global affairs chief, Nick Clegg, said at the time.

Trump was a vocal critic of Facebook in his first term and last year threatened to jail Zuckerberg if re-elected.

While Zuckerberg didn't endorse a candidate for president in 2024, he said Trump's reaction to being shot at a rally in Pennsylvania last summer was "badass."

Jeff Bezos, Amazon

Jeff Bezos and his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, next to Sundar Pichai.
Jeff Bezos and his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, next to Sundar Pichai.

Saul Loeb-Pool/Getty Images

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, reportedly met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in December. Amazon also donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund.

Bezos said at The New York Times' DealBook Summit last month that he was "actually very optimistic" about another Trump term, and would like to help Trump with "reducing regulation"

"What I've seen so far is he is calmer than he was the first time and more settled," Bezos said. "You've probably grown in the last eight years. He has, too."

Bezos didn't always feel this way about Trump.

In 2016, he said Trump's desire to lock up Hillary Clinton and his stated refusal to accept a loss in the presidential election that year "erodes our democracy around the edges."

Trump has also criticized Amazon and The Washington Post, which Bezos owns, frequently over the years.

In 2024, for the first time in decades, The Post didn't endorse a presidential candidate. Bezos reportedly intervened to block an endorsement of Kamala Harris.

Bezos later defended the decision, writing in an op-ed that endorsements "create a perception of bias" and "do nothing to tip the scales of an election."

Tim Cook, Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook at Trump's inauguration
Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, was among the tech leaders present at Trump's inauguration.

SHAWN THEW / POOL / AFP

Unlike some of his peers, Apple CEO Tim Cook — better known to Trump as "Tim Apple" — made a $1 million donation to Trump's inaugural fund from his own wallet, rather than from his company.

Cook has credited the first Trump administration with helping Apple break into the retail market in India.

Sam Altman, OpenAI

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman chats with influencers Jake (left) and Logan Paul before the inauguration ceremony of Donald Trump.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman chats with influencers Jake (left) and Logan Paul before Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony.

ALEXANDER DRAGO / POOL / AFP

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also made a personal donation of $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund.

Altman has stated that he agrees with some of Trump's views around bureaucratic blockades.

"The thing I really deeply agree with the president on is, it is wild how difficult it has become to build things in the United States," Altman told Bloomberg earlier this month.

He added: "Power plants, data centers, any of that kind of stuff. I understand how bureaucratic cruft builds up, but it's not helpful to the country in general."

Shou Zi Chew, TikTok

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew arrives to attend Donald Trump's inauguration.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew arrives at Donald Trump's inauguration.

Shawn THEW / POOL / AFP

Shou Zi Chew, TikTok's CEO, was also spotted in the Capitol Rotunda.

Last week, the Supreme Court ruled against TikTok on its challenge against a divest-or-ban law. The platform briefly went dark for US users on Saturday night but resumed its services on Sunday after Trump said he would pause the ban with an executive order.

On Friday, Chew thanked Trump for "his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States."

Sundar Pichai, Google

Google CEO Sundar Pichai and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk at President Trump's inauguration
Tech leaders, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, were spotted together during the inauguration.

SAUL LOEB / POOL / AFP

Google CEO Sundar Pichai was also in attendance Monday.

Google was among the companies that donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund.

Rupert Murdoch, NewsCorp

Rupert Murdoch at President Donald Trump's inauguration
Rupert Murdoch, the chairman emeritus of Fox News, was at the inauguration, along with members of the newer rightwing media landscape.

Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Rupert Murdoch, the patriarch of the Fox News empire, was also in attendance.

Bernard Arnault, LVMH

UFC President and CEO Dana White at President Trump's inauguration
Bernard Arnault, left, attended the inauguration alongside two of his children, not pictured.

Pool/Getty Images

French billionaire Bernard Arnault, the CEO of luxury conglomerate LVMH, which includes brands like Louis Vuitton and Dior, attended the inauguration.

He was joined by daughter Delphine Arnault, who is CEO of Dior, and son Alexandre Arnault, who will become deputy CEO of LVMH's wines and spirits division, Moët Hennessy, starting in February.

Dana White, UFC

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: Former President Barack Obama speaks with the CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship Dana White after the inauguration of President Donald Trump in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th President of the United States.
UFC president and CEO Dana White, speaking with former president Barack Obama, was recently appointed to the board of Meta.

Shawn Thew-Pool/Getty Images

Silicon Valley's growing alignment with the cultural MAGA-verse was also on display Monday.

In attendance at the inauguration was Dana White, president and CEO of UFC, who was recently appointed to the board of Meta, and is a close Trump ally.

White and Meta's Zuckerberg, whose hobbies include MMA fighting, have been spotted together multiple times over the years.

Podcaster Theo Von, one of the internet celebrities Trump used to court young male voters, was at the inauguration, too, representing an ascendant realm of right-wing media.

Joe Rogan, who interviewed Trump on his podcast in late October, also attended.

Miriam Adelson, Las Vegas Sands

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: Miriam Adelson arrives for the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th President of the United States.
Miriam Adelson co-hosted a reception for Trump on Monday night.

Saul Loeb-Pool/Getty Images

Miriam Adelson, the widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, was also in attendance.

According to the Associated Press, the longtime GOP megadonor co-hosted a reception for Trump on Monday night alongside Zuckerberg, Tilman Fertitta, Trump's pick for US ambassador to Italy, Todd Ricketts, co-owner of the Chicago Cubs, and Ricketts' wife, Sylvie Légère.

Phil Ruffin, Circus Circus Hotel and Casino

Phil Ruffin and his wife Oleksandra Nikolayenko attending President Donald Trump's inauguration.
Las Vegas billionaire Phil Ruffin attended Trump's inauguration with his wife, Oleksandra Nikolayenko.

Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images

Las Vegas casino magnate Phil Ruffin attended the inauguration with his wife, Oleksandra Nikolayenko.

Trump had served as Ruffin's best man when he married Nikolayenko in 2008.

Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Industries

Mukesh Ambani and his wife Nita posing for a photograph with President Donald Trump.
Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and his wife Nita attended President Donald Trump's inauguration.

Reliance Industries

Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries, attended Trump's inauguration along with his wife Nita, a spokesperson for Ambani confirmed to Business Insider.

The couple also attended Trump's pre-inauguration reception in Washington on Saturday.

At the Private Reception in Washington, Mrs. Nita and Mr. Mukesh Ambani extended their congratulations to President-Elect Mr. Donald Trump ahead of his inauguration.

With a shared optimism for deeper India-US relations, they wished him a transformative term of leadership, paving… pic.twitter.com/XXm2Sj74vX

— Reliance Industries Limited (@RIL_Updates) January 19, 2025

Linda McMahon, former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment

Linda McMahon, former Rep. Lee Zeldin (L), Kash Patel, and Pete Hegseth at Trump's inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2025.
Linda McMahon (R) left President Trump's inauguration on Monday with former Rep. Lee Zeldin (L), Kash Patel, and Pete Hegseth.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Linda McMahon, Trump's nominee for education secretary and the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, was also present at Trump's inauguration.

While not a billionaire in her own right, McMahon gave $15 million to Trump's campaign and is married to Vincent McMahon, the former executive chairman of WWE-owned TKO Group Holdings, valued at $3 billion.

She led the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019, during Trump's first term in office.

Scott Bessent, Wall Street veteran

Scott Bessent attended Trump's inauguration in the Rotunda of the US Capitol on January 20, 2025, in Washington, DC.
Trump's nominee for Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, attended Trump's inauguration on Monday.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Also in attendance was Scott Bessent, Trump's pick for Treasury Secretary.

Bessent founded and runs the macro hedge fund Key Square Group and served as Trump's top economic advisor during the campaign.

If he gets Senate confirmation, Bessent would be the highest-ranking LGBTQ+ official in American history, according to the Associated Press.

Doug Burgum, Arthur Ventures

Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (C) attended Trump's inaguration on January 20, 2025.
Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (C) attended Trump's inaguration on Monday.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum was another attendee at Trump's inauguration.

Burgum, Trump's pick to lead the Department of Interior and "energy czar," co-founded Arthur Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage B2B software businesses and manages $1.1 billion.

Chris Wright, Liberty Energy

Secretary of Energy nominee Chris Wright (C) attended Trump's inauguration on Monday, flanked by Marco Rubio on the left and Sean Duffy on the right.
Secretary of Energy nominee Chris Wright (C), flanked by Marco Rubio on the left and Sean Duffy on the right.

SAUL LOEB/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Chris Wright, founder and CEO of Liberty Energy, an oilfield services firm with a $3.7 billion net value, was also present.

Trump has tapped Wright to lead the Department of Energy, but he will continue in his positions until the Senate confirms him, the company said.

Howard Lutnick, Cantor Fitzgerald

Howard Lutnick, chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC Group, was among those present at the inauguration.
Howard Lutnick, chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, was among those present at Trump's inauguration.

Julia Demaree Nikhinson - Pool/Getty Images

Howard Lutnick, the CEO of Wall Street investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald, was another attendee at Trump's inauguration.

Lutnick, who has been put forward as the next commerce secretary, has been president and CEO of the financial services firm since 1991.

In recent years, the billionaire banker has become a key advisor to Trump as well as a major fundraiser.

He is cochair of the Trump transition team.

Others congratulated Trump online

Responses from the corporate world also poured in online.

Pichai, Cook, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg were among those congratulating Trump on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday.

Correction: January 20, 2025 — An earlier version of this story misstated Jeff Bezos' current position at Amazon. He is the founder and executive chairman, not the CEO.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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