Who will replace Elon Musk as Donald Trump's Silicon Valley bestie: Four tech CEOs analyst are betting on
The high-profile alignment between
Elon Musk
and US President
Donald Trump
appears to be dissolving. Following the Tesla CEO's departure from a prominent advisory role, questions are now emerging regarding which, IF ANY, tech executive might next enter the President's inner circle. His second inauguration in January was a red carpet for Silicon Valley elites — with execs from Apple, Meta, Google and even
OpenAI
making an appearance, essentially pointing out a way that there's no shortage of names lining up to be the next tech mogul to the Oval Office.
Here's a list of potential contenders — executives and entrepreneurs who can be the next in line (via Business Insider).
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook co-founder and Meta Platforms CEO
Mark Zuckerberg was among the first
tech CEOs
who demonstrated support for Trump. Meta contributed $1 million to Trump's inauguration, and Zuckerberg co-hosted a black-tie event to honour the president. Moreover, it was Zuckerberg's Meta that quickly brought changes to how the company worked. For example, launching X-like Community Notes service for fact checking, and making significant changes to its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programmes.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Many Are Watching Tariffs - Few Are Watching What Nvidia Just Launched
Seeking Alpha
Read Now
Undo
In early 2025, the company announced that it would be terminating major DEI initiatives, including those related to hiring, training, and supplier diversity. Reportedly, Zuckerberg also made multiple trips to Trump's Mar-a-lago residence. Zuckerberg is reportedly establishing a stronger presence in Washington D.C., having acquired a $23 million, 15,000-square-foot mansion in the capital.
Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO
OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman has also engaged with the Trump administration. His involvement includes the Stargate project, a $100 billion AI infrastructure plan announced the day after Trump's inauguration, involving OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. Altman's inclusion in the project came as a surprise because of infamous Musk-Altman feud when the Tesla CEO was standing beside the President.
In May, Altman joined Trump on a trip to Saudi Arabia while working on a major deal to construct one of the world's largest AI data centers in Abu Dhabi. The Wall Street Journal reported this trip prompted Musk to join at the last minute, and that Musk allegedly attempted to derail the deal, for which OpenAI was ultimately selected. Trump has expressed enthusiasm for the AI arms race, aligning with Altman's focus.
Jensen Huang, Nvidia CEO
Nvidia co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang did not attend Trump's second inauguration in January but was present on the Middle East trip in May.
Nvidia
is involved in the OpenAI data center plans in the UAE, partnering with Oracle, SoftBank and G42. Huang has also praised Trump on several occasions for reversal of Biden administration's chip export rules, calling the previous rules "fundamentally flawed".
However, Nvidia has faced challenges from the Trump administration, specifically in April when Trump banned the chip maker from selling its most advanced chips, the H20, to China. Nvidia stated this decision cost the company $5.5 billion.
Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO
Jeff Bezos
, founder of Amazon and Blue Origin, has transitioned from public opposition towards Trump to a more cooperative stance. Bezos said in December that he expects a more friendly regulatory environment in the upcoming administration and in January, Amazon donated $1 million for Trump's inauguration.
'I'm actually very optimistic this time around. He seems to have a lot of energy around reducing regulation. If I can help do that, I'm going to help him," Bezos said at that time.
However, the Bezos-Trump relationship has seen strained periods. In 2015, Bezos famously suggested he would use his space company, Blue Origin, to "#sendDonaldtospace" after Trump criticised the Washington Post, which Bezos owns.
A brief point of tension emerged in April when Amazon reportedly considered displaying Trump's tariffs next to product prices, a plan White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called "hostile and political." The idea was not implemented.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Time of India
Meta in talks for Scale AI investment that could top $10 billion
Meta Platforms Inc . is in talks to make a multibillion-dollar investment into artificial intelligence startup Scale AI , according to people familiar with the matter. The financing could exceed $10 billion in value, some of the people said, making it one of the largest private company funding events of all time. The terms of the deal are not finalised and could still change, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. A representative for Scale did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Meta declined to comment. Scale AI, whose customers include Microsoft Corp. and OpenAI, provides data labeling services to help companies train machine-learning models and has become a key beneficiary of the generative AI boom. The startup was last valued at about $14 billion in 2024, in a funding round that included backing from Meta and Microsoft. Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that Scale was in talks for a tender offer that would value it at $25 billion. This would be Meta's biggest ever external AI investment, and a rare move for the company. The social media giant has before now mostly depended on its in-house research, plus a more open development strategy, to make improvements in its AI technology. Meanwhile, Big Tech peers have invested heavily: Microsoft has put more than $13 billion into OpenAI while both Inc. and Alphabet Inc. have put billions into rival Anthropic. Part of those companies' investments have been through credits to use their computing power. Meta doesn't have a cloud business, and it's unclear what format Meta's investment will take. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg has made AI Meta's top priority, and said in January that the company would spend as much as $65 billion on related projects this year. The company's push includes an effort to make Llama the industry standard worldwide. Meta's AI chatbot — already available on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — is used by 1 billion people per month. Scale, co-founded in 2016 by CEO Alexandr Wang, has been growing quickly: The startup generated revenue of $870 million last year and expects sales to more than double to $2 billion in 2025, Bloomberg previously reported. Scale plays a key role in making AI data available for companies. Because AI is only as good as the data that goes into it, Scale uses scads of contract workers to tidy up and tag images, text and other data that can then be used for AI training. Scale and Meta share an interest in defense tech. Last week, Meta announced a new partnership with defense contractor Anduril Industries Inc. to develop products for the US military, including an AI-powered helmet with virtual and augmented reality features. Meta has also granted approval for US government agencies and defense contractors to use its AI models. The company is already partnering with Scale on a program called Defense Llama — a version of Meta's Llama large language model intended for military use. Scale has increasingly been working with the US government to develop AI for defense purposes. Earlier this year the startup said it won a contract with the Defense Department to work on AI agent technology. The company called the contract 'a significant milestone in military advancement.'
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Putin Stuns Zelensky; Russia Devises New Method To Smash Ukraine's 'KILLER WEAPON'
US Anti-ICE Riots Snowball: Grenades, Rocks & 'Bid To Kill Agents' | Trump Puts Marines On Standby U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has put Marines on standby and Donald Trump has deployed 2,000 troops to California after second day of massive clashes between ICE agents and rioters. Shocking new videos of the confrontation shows cops firing teargas, flash-bang grenades and pepper balls at demonstrators to disperse them. In return, tear-gassed protesters were seen hurling rocks at the agents in a 'bid to kill.' ICE Director claimed that 1,000 people had surrounded the building where agents were staging an operation. Watch for more details. 1.5K views | 5 hours ago
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Musk's Father In Moscow Sparks Russia Asylum Rumours Amid Trump Feud
Last Updated: Musk-Trump fallout began after Musk strongly criticised Trump's sweeping tax and domestic policy bill calling it a 'disgusting abomination'. Elon Musk's father, Errol Musk, reportedly arrived unannounced in Moscow on Sunday amid the ongoing feud between the Tesla owner and US President Donald Trump. Amid this backdrop, speculation has arisen that Moscow may have extended an offer of asylum to Musk as a political gesture, possibly in response to his escalating clashes with Trump. Dmitry Novikov, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma's Committee on International Affairs, earlier told Russian agency TASS that Russia 'could provide" asylum to Musk. 'Musk has a completely different game; he won't need any political asylum, although, if he did, Russia could, of course, provide it," Novikov said. His remark came amid the ongoing tension between Trump and Musk, with the latter threatening to shut down SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which carries astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). Musk-Trump Feud Once close allies, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are now locked in a public feud that has rapidly escalated. The fallout began after Musk strongly criticised Trump's sweeping tax and domestic policy bill, calling it a 'disgusting abomination". What began as a policy disagreement quickly became personal, with both sides exchanging insults online and in private meetings. Musk even resurfaced old quotes from Trump and GOP leaders about spending and deficits, further fuelling tensions. In response, Trump suggested severing federal ties with Musk's companies. Just weeks ago, Musk was still being honoured as a trusted advisor to the administration; now, the relationship appears to have completely broken down. VP Vance Says Musk Making Huge Mistake US Vice President JD Vance reacted to the ongoing row, stating that Elon Musk was making a 'huge mistake" by attacking President Donald Trump in a series of acrimonious social media posts after a falling out between the two men. However, in an interview released Friday after the very public dispute between the world's richest man and arguably one of the world's most powerful, the Vice President also attempted to downplay Musk's scathing attacks, describing him as an 'emotional guy" who got frustrated. 'I hope that eventually Elon comes back into the fold. Maybe that's not possible now because he's gone so nuclear," Vance said. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : Moscow, Russia First Published: June 08, 2025, 18:06 IST
