Only one day after cutting less than 1% of its 228,000-strong workforce, Microsoft announced it would contribute $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration fund.
This will put the software giant in league with some of its biggest tech industry competitors—Google, Meta, and Amazon, which also made similar donations.
Microsoft Follows Google’s Lead in Supporting Trump’s Inauguration
Microsoft Joins Tech Giants With $1 Million Contribution: Trump Inauguration
NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images
Microsoft is donating $1 million just a few days after Google said it was donating the same amount to Trump’s inauguration fund.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, also pledged $1 million in December, marking one of the largest gestures of support from the technology sector.
Among the major players, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Apple CEO Tim Cook are each personally donating $1 million to the cause.
These contributions have underlined the deepening relationships between Silicon Valley tech executives and the political world, especially with Trump’s return to the White House.
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Tech Giants Align with Trump’s Administration
This is not the first contribution that Microsoft has made towards a Trump inauguration, according to CNBC. The firm donated to Trump’s first inaugural fund back in 2017 to the tune of $500,000, an amount matched in 2021 after President Joe Biden came into office.
The alignment of the company with both Republican and Democratic administrations seems evidence of a calculated strategy meant to maintain a strong relationship with both parties.
The most notable recent direct engagement is when Trump directly reached out to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella over several years for possible discussions regarding a buyout of TikTok back in 2020.
Furthermore, in 2017, he attended a roundtable with Trump as some of the tech leaders present aimed at discussing issues concerning their companies.
Microsoft’s Plans Show How it Deeply Cares About AI
Perhaps the most compelling reason for Microsoft’s financial support for Trump’s re-election is that the company expects positive AI policies to be advanced by the government.
In recent years, Microsoft has invested greatly in AI and, as a leader in AI research, wants to influence U.S. policy. With the current administration led by Trump, the company will benefit from less regulation of AI efforts and technology as a whole.
This is most probably part of a larger effort by the tech sector: the government promoting innovation without any overly restrictive regulation that would possibly hold back growth.
For a company such as Microsoft—the world’s top tech company—this means playing an important role in determining the direction that AI takes and how it becomes part of mainstream society.
The Bigger Picture Behind Tech Leader’s Political Donations
The continuous support from tech giants such as Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Amazon has led to the question of whether Big Tech is influencing politics.
Donations into the inauguration funds of both Trump and Biden show that tech companies are positioning themselves to work closely with the federal government, regardless of the party in power.
The money contributions remind everyone of the increasing closeness between Silicon Valley and Washington D.C. because tech leaders increasingly recognize that they have to reach out to political leaders to safeguard and promote their business interests. Whether by direct donations or strategic partnerships, these companies are making their presence felt in the halls of power.
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