From left to right: Mark Zuckerberg, Lauren Sánchez, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, and Elon Musk at the 60th presidential inauguration in the U.S. Capitol rotunda, Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025. Photo: Julia Demaree Nikhinson via AP.
President Donald Trump was sworn in on Monday at the U.S. Capitol rotunda in an unusually quiet ceremony. Unlike past inaugurations, which attracted millions of attendees, this one saw a more intimate gathering, with only a small circle of the wealthiest and most influential figures in the nation’s history present to witness the transition of power.
While the presence of wealth and power is not new to presidential inaugurations, the concentration of it was particularly striking on Monday. In one row, sat Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg (worth $211.8 billion), Amazon’s Jeff Bezos ($239.4 billion), Tesla’s Elon Musk ($433.9 billion), and Apple’s Tim Cook ($2.2 billion). For context, the total net worth of the lower half of the U.S. population is just under $4 trillion. The combined wealth of these four men is nearly $1 trillion.
The tech industry has closely aligned itself with the new administration, hoping to further grow their already immense fortunes. Musk even took it a step further, reportedly accepting an administration role and working from an office within the White House. Other tech CEOs present included OpenAI’s Sam Altman ($1.1 billion) and Coinbase’s Brian Armstrong ($12.8 billion).
However, they are far from the only ultra-wealthy individuals aligning themselves with the former and incoming President. Other billionaire attendees included Israeli-American casino owner and major political donor Miriam Adelson ($31.9 billion), media tycoon Rupert Murdoch ($22.2 billion), and luxury goods magnate Bernard Arnault ($179.6 billion). Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, who seems on track to join the billionaire ranks soon, smiled as he mingled with his future peers.
The dominance of the ultra-wealthy in American politics is nothing new. The combined net worth of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet stands at about $120 million. By comparison, Trump’s likely Cabinet—assuming all are confirmed—boasts a combined net worth of around $20 billion. This would make it the wealthiest Cabinet in U.S. history, though it doesn’t include figures like Musk, who won’t need Senate confirmation.
The spectacle at the inauguration underscores the growing strength of the American oligarchy.
