- Tech CEOs, GOP megadonors, and media personalities celebrated Donald Trump’s inauguration.
- Parties thrown by the likes of billionaire Peter Thiel and X attracted big Silicon Valley names.
- The weekend demonstrated a realignment of the richest’s Trump support as he starts a second term.
Tech CEOs and billionaires were front and center, quite literally, at Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday — as well as at the parties celebrating his ascendence to president for the second time.
The photos of the Silicon Valley elite taken this past weekend in Washington, D.C., seem to leave little doubt of a broader realignment of Trump’s relationship with some of the wealthiest individuals in the country as he heads into his second term. It’s a marked change from 2016 and Trump’s first term, which often saw the same tech CEOs at odds with the president.
Throughout the weekend, a similar cast of very rich characters was spotted at various events dedicated to the new president.
The Crypto Ball on Friday night kicked things off. Cohosted by David Sacks, a PayPal Mafia member and Trump’s incoming AI and crypto tzar, the event drew billionaire guests from the industry, like crypto investors Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss and Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong.
On Saturday, billionaire venture capitalist and GOP megadonor Peter Thiel threw an exclusive party at his D.C. mansion, attended by Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Uber founder Travis Kalanick, The New York Times reported.
On Sunday night, at a party thrown by X, Uber, and Bari Weiss’s The Free Press, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi posed with UFC fighter Conor McGregor, while X CEO Linda Yaccarino smiled with podcaster Lex Fridman. The same evening, at a dinner at the National Building Museum, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, chatted with Ivanka Trump.
Monday night’s official events — the Commander-in-Chief Ball, the Liberty Ball, and the Starlight Ball — included performances from the likes of the Rascal Flatts, Gavin DeGraw, and Nelly, while Meta CEO Zuckerberg, who’d also had a prime place in the Capitol Rotunda, cohosted a party with billionaire GOP donor Miriam Adelson, Todd Ricketts, and billionaire Tilman Fertitta.
Throughout the weekend, many of Trump’s billionaire donors who have been supporters since his first term were also out celebrating, as were members of the media, like podcaster Theo Von and YouTuber Jake Paul.
Here’s a look at how the rich and famous celebrated Trump’s inauguration:
Uber, X, and The Free Press party
On Sunday, The Free Press, Uber, and X (formerly known as Twitter) jointly hosted a party for Trump at D.C.’s Cafe Riggs.
Candlelit dinner
The same evening, Bezos, Sánchez, Musk, and Shivon Zillis, a Neuralink executive with whom Musk shares three children, were seen at a candlelit dinner celebrating Donald Trump at the National Building Museum on Sunday.
The Starlight Ball
Monday night’s festivities included three official balls, as well as other celebrations — like the one cohosted by Zuckerberg.
The Starlight Ball, held at D.C.’s Union Station, seemed to draw the largest collection of big names.
Sánchez posted photos of her ensemble for the Starlight Ball, featuring a Dolce & Gabbana dress and jewelry from Lorraine Schwartz.
X CEO Yaccarino and two other executives from X, which Elon Musk owns, attended the Starlight Ball.
Google cofounder Sergey Brin made an appearance as well.
Jake Paul and Mike Tyson were also out celebrating — and seemed to be getting along fine after their Netflix boxing match.
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