How Silicon Valley bosses rallied behind Trump

The protocol, overseen by Donald Trump, deliberately chose to place them there, just beneath a painting depicting a historic surrender: that of British General John Burgoyne, in 1777, to George Washington, the future first president of the United States, to whom the president-elect sometimes compares himself. But have they even noticed? For now, the tech giants are primarily concerned with the cameras filming them, lined up, waiting for the inauguration ceremony to begin on January 20.

The whole world saw the scene, without knowing what went on behind the scenes. All our characters are there, however. There, in the heart of the Capitol, that symbol of American democracy that Trump's supporters stormed on January 6, 2021, or hidden in the secondary halls of power. And that's where we must begin to better understand this new nomenklatura that has become rich in less than a quarter of a century by penetrating our lives.

Even before entering the dome, where the elite of guests will attend the ceremony, the first guests heard the thunderous cascade that often allows Jeff Bezos to be spotted when he arrives somewhere, surrounded by his assistants, makeup artist and bodyguards. Within the empire that his company, Amazon, has become, he is a relentless and curt leader. With a "low tolerance for stupidity," his executives say, as if to excuse him.

On the outside, he is quite the opposite: friendly, jovial, attentive to others, with great political flexibility. A good nature, therefore. Not long ago, The billionaire who revolutionized online commerce—and often the job market—with his all-out deliveries, was still considered a staunch supporter of the Democrats. The Washington Post , the prestigious newspaper he bought in 2013, had also called for votes for Hillary Clinton in 2016, then for Joe Biden in 2020. But business is business.

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