Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg to attend Donald Trump's inauguration
What's the story
Tech billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg will be attending US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday.
The trio will have a prominent spot at the event, seated together on the platform with other important guests including Trump's cabinet nominees and other elected officials.
Musk said he was honored to be given such a prominent position at the ceremony.
Political alliance
Musk's close ties and significant contributions to Trump
Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has become a key adviser to Trump.
He has donated over $250 million to Trump's campaign and is co-leading a new advisory body known as the Department of Government Efficiency.
Meanwhile, Meta CEO Zuckerberg has restructured his lobbying staff and content moderation policies at Meta to align with the incoming administration.
Inauguration participation
Zuckerberg and Bezos's role in Trump's inauguration
Meta has donated $1 million to the Trump inaugural fund.
Zuckerberg will also co-host a black-tie reception with Republican mega-donor Miriam Adelson to celebrate the inauguration.
Bezos, the founder and Executive Chairperson of Amazon, ensured that The Washington Post didn't endorse any candidate in the presidential race.
Corporate support
Corporate interest and donations for Trump's inauguration
Corporate interest in Trump's inauguration has skyrocketed, with donations surpassing $200 million.
Companies like Ripple Labs have made huge contributions, including a $5 million donation in cryptocurrency from Ripple.
Other major corporations like JPMorgan Chase, Comcast, McDonald's, Delta Air Lines, Lockheed Martin, and Johnson & Johnson have each donated $1 million to the event.
Event details
Inauguration festivities and corporate contributions
The inauguration festivities have been sold out since early January. Some companies are redirecting their money to super PACs or Trump-aligned nonprofits instead of donating directly to the inaugural committee.
These groups are expected to spend millions on ads promoting Trump's political agenda.
The inauguration committee intends to reveal its donor list after the event ends, but donations through Trump's nonprofit will remain undisclosed.