Altman’s commitment follows similar million-dollar pledges from Meta and Amazon, marking a coordinated effort by major tech players to court the president-elect. The move represents a departure from past political neutrality; notably, Meta bypassed inauguration donations for both Donald Trump in 2017 and Joe Biden in 2021. This cycle, however, the approach is decidedly transactional.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club, while Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is expected to follow suit next week. These overtures come despite a history of bitter friction. Trump previously threatened to imprison Zuckerberg over election interference concerns, and Bezos has endured years of criticism regarding The Washington Post’s coverage of the president-elect. Margaret O'Mara, a University of Washington history professor, suggests this public alignment is a deliberate calculation: executives have concluded that outspoken opposition yields little, while demonstrating clear support may provide a buffer against future regulatory pressure.
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