The lavish praise may seem like a shift in the allegiance of tech leaders who have historically been seen as more supportive of Democrats than Republicans. That shift may be a result of Democrats under former President Joe Biden embracing antitrust efforts that targeted large tech companies and generally becoming more critical of billionaires.

The Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist is taking a break from the future to examine his past — and mulling where the billionaires now fit in.

Big Tech billionaires such as Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg angered onlookers at Donald Trump's inauguration – all because of where they sat

Some of the most exclusive seats at President Donald Trump’s inauguration were reserved for powerful tech CEOs who also are among the world’s richest men.

Altman and Musk were OpenAI’s founding co-chairs in 2015, but their relationship has devolved into name-calling and lawsuits.

Trump's inauguration drew several business and tech CEOs, including Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Tim Cook, and TikTok's Shou Zi Chew.

Tech billionaires including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos were given prime ... Musk, Bezos and Zuckerberg are the world's three richest people, according to Forbes. Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who also attended, ranks seventh.

The swearing-in ceremony in Washington, moved indoors due to glacial temperatures, is being attended by former presidents, foreign dignitaries, tech and business executives, and an assortment of performers and celebrities.

The world's richest accumulated massive wealth in 2024, which some speculate could reach even greater heights in the next few years.

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 20: Guests including Mark Zuckerberg, Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk attend the Inauguration of Donald J. Trump in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on January 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Photo by Julia Demaree Nikhinson – Pool/Getty Images.

Among the guests at Donald Trump's second inauguration in Washington, D.C. today were three billionaire tech CEOs: Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Tesla's Elon Musk, and Meta's Mark Zuckerberg. They were also joined by Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook.

The top billionaires of Silicon Valley have gone from supporting Democrats to being all in on Trump. What happened?