The Silicon Valley titans seeking Donald Trump’s ear as his second term approaches

Donald Trump campaigns in North Carolina

From threatening to jail Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg to accusing Google of rigging search results against him, President-elect Donald Trump tangled with Big Tech throughout his 2024 presidential campaign.

But with victory clenched — and tech luminary Elon Musk emerging as a key confidant — leaders throughout the industry have sought meetings and phone calls with the president-elect and those in his orbit in recent weeks.

There’s a lot at stake. Trump’s presidency could affect everything from budding AI regulation to a bevy of antitrust actions that target Apple, Google, Meta, and Amazon.

“President Trump is surrounding himself with industry leaders like Elon Musk as he works to restore innovation, reduce regulation, and celebrate free speech in his second term,” Trump-Vance transition spokesperson Brian Hughes told B-17 in a statement.

With his second term approaching, these are some of the big-name tech executives who’ve been seeking the president-elect’s ear.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Zuckerberg dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago before Thanksgiving.

Despite their thorny past, Zuckerberg — who didn’t endorse a candidate in the 2024 election — met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago for dinner on the evening before Thanksgiving, a Meta spokesperson previously confirmed to B-17.

“It’s an important time for the future of American Innovation,” the spokesperson said.

Meta President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg said Tuesday that Zuckerberg wants to play “an active role” in future discussions with the Trump administration about US tech leadership, including in the “pivotal” field of artificial intelligence.

Clegg also said that Meta “overdid it” when moderating pandemic-related content in the past, for which the social network garnered heat on both sides of the political aisle.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai

Musk joined a congratulatory call between Pichai and Trump, The Information reported.

In addition to his public congratulations, Google chief Sundar Pichai called the president-elect to congratulate him on his victory — with Musk joining the call, The Information reported.

Trump had previously accused Google of manipulating search results against him and said he’d called Pichai to complain. Google has denied the claims.

When asked about Google’s antitrust challenges earlier this year, Trump acknowledged the search giant “has a lot of power,” but didn’t say he favored a breakup.

“We want to have great companies,” Trump said at the time. “We don’t want China to have these companies.”

TikTok CEO Shou Chew

Chew and Musk have discussed tech policy under Trump, according to The Wall Street Journal.

With a potential TikTok ban looming, CEO Shou Chew has sought counsel from Musk, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Chew has known Musk for years and inquired broadly about the next administration’s tech policies, the Journal reported.

Although he did not directly broach how to contend with a prospective TikTok ban, the Jounal reported that ByteDance execs are cautiously optimistic about TikTok’s future in the US.

During his first term, Trump tried to ban TikTok, but has since about-faced, saying he would try to save the app once assuming office — though such a pledge could be difficult to fulfill.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman

Altman has had discussions with Jared and Josh Kushner, as well as Howard Lutnick, per The Wall Street Journal.

OpenAI chief Sam Altman could be in a precarious position with Trump given his increasingly turbulent relationship with Musk.

Altman has also sought indirect counsel from certain members of Trump’s inner circle, according to The Wall Street Journal, including Jared and Josh Kushner. The latter’s Thrive Capital is a key OpenAI investor.

That said, the Journal reported that some intermediaries have been reluctant to pass on Altman’s messages, given his tense relationship with Musk.

In addition to publicly congratulating the president-elect on X, Altman met with transition team co-chair Howard Lutnick in Palm Beach, according to the Journal, where he discussed how OpenAI would invest in US data centers and jobs. As Commerce Secretary, Lutnick would oversee the department charged with AI regulation.