OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Friday announced his intention to donate $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund, making a clear overture to US President-elect Donald Trump about his latest technology. He became a giant.
The news comes after Mehta confirmed on Wednesday that he had donated $1 million to the fund, and on Thursday it was reported that Amazon was planning to donate $1 million. The Washington Post characterized Altman’s move as “the latest attempt to win support from big tech executives in an industry that has long been a target of President Trump’s vitriol.”
“President Trump will lead our country into the AI era, and I look forward to supporting his efforts to ensure America stays ahead,” Altman said in a statement sent to multiple media outlets.
Meta’s donation comes on the heels of Meta CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg’s visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club to meet with President-elect Trump last month. . Amazon Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos is scheduled to travel to Florida next week to meet with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Zuckerberg and Trump didn’t always have a good relationship. Following Trump’s comments about the January 6th riot, Mehta temporarily banned Trump from Instagram and Facebook and threatened him with life in prison if Trump realized Zuckerberg was interfering in the 2024 election. Zuckerberg threatened him — but Zuckerberg implored the then-candidate this summer, describing Trump’s response to his assassination attempt as “terrible.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, Zuckerberg and Mehta refrained from donating to President Trump’s inaugural fund in 2017 and refrained from donating to President Joe Biden’s inaugural fund in 2021.
In response to the news that Mr. Mehta donated to President Trump’s inaugural fund, the watchdog group Public Citizen wrote, “Shocker! Another tech billionaire is trying to do Trump a favor. Zuckerberg.” He donated $1 million to President Trump’s inaugural fund.” Stand tall for the man who threatened Zuckerberg with life in prison. ”
Journalist Mehdi Hasan described the move as “bending both knees to Trump.”
Mr. Bezos was also angry with Mr. Trump when he was first president. President Trump has repeatedly criticized the Washington Post, which Bezos owns, for reporting on him. In its legal proceedings, Amazon accused Trump of influencing the bidding process when the Pentagon chose Microsoft over Amazon for a favorable contract because of Trump’s disdain for Bezos. But in a move seen as a signal to Trump, Bezos blocked the newspaper from endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris just before last month’s election.
Margaret O’Mara, a history professor at the University of Washington who specializes in high-tech economics, said in an interview with NPR that the fact that support for Trump is not happening quietly is “something new.”
“It’s just a recognition that there isn’t much to be gained from outspoken opposition, but there may be something to be gained by making our support clear and hoping that President Trump will do the right thing,” she said. spoke.
