Donald Trump’s return to the White House, once seen as nearly impossible in the immediate aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, was boosted by ultra-wealthy political donors, tech titans and business moguls who opened their deep pockets — many of whom are expected to attend his second inauguration.
Some, such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, are hopeful Trump will treat them more favorably than he has previously indicated. Donations from sports team owners and industry heirs also signal the billionaire class aligning with the incoming administration.
Here are a handful of the billionaires expected at the swearing-in.
Tech titans line up behind Trump
A day after TikTok’s short-lived ban, CEO Shou Zi Chew is expected to be seated on the dais at the ceremony, a position of honor typically reserved for former presidents or other highly distinguished guests.
A trio of Big Tech bosses — Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Apple CEO Tim Cook —also have prime seats. Amazon and Meta each gave $1 million to Trump’s second inauguration; Cook personally gifted $1 million. Zuckerberg, who is co-hosting an inaugural party tonight, ended fact-checking on Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms earlier this month, while Amazon reportedly spent $40 million to secure the rights to produce and stream a documentary about Melania Trump.
All three were seen seated next to each other at the Inauguration Day church service at St. John’s Cathedral early Monday, CNN reported.
Elon Musk, who spent an estimated $277 million backing Trump and other Republican candidates, will be there. Musk since been named co-chair of Trump’s Department of Governmental Efficiency, a nongovernmental outside group advising him on how to slash the federal budget.
Altman, who personally gave Trump $1 million for his inauguration, is scheduled to attend alongside two other company executives.
Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is expected to be there. Both Uber and Khosrowshahi each made a $1 million donation to Trump’s inauguration, according to Reuters.
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is scheduled to attend. Google donated $1 million to the festivities.
Billionaires on guest list
Miriam Adelson, widow of billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who gave $5 million to Trump's first inauguration, is expected to attend the ceremonies. Last year, she created a pro-Trump PAC, funding it entirely through a $100 million donation of her personal funds.
Tilman Fertitta, owner of the Houston Rockets basketball team, is expected to attend. Fertitta is a Houston-area businessman and head of Landry’s, the restaurant group that owns brands like Morton’s steakhouse, McCormick and Schmick’s and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Trump recently nominated Fertitta to be ambassador to Italy. Fertitta donated at least $1 million to state and national Republican fundraising committees during the 2024 election.
Todd Ricketts, co-owner of the Chicago Cubs, is expected to attend. Ricketts served as finance chair of Trump's reelection committee and was the Republican National Committee’s finance chair from 2018 through 2021.
The three are slated to co-host an inaugural ball reception later this evening alongside Zuckerberg.
Trump landed support from other billionaires whose attendance hasn’t been confirmed:
- Timothy Mellon gave $76.5 million to Trump political fundraising groups during the election. Mellon is the heir to the Mellon banking fortune and was one of Trump’s largest individual donors during the election. The family is worth an estimated $14.1 billion, per Forbes.
- Linda McMahon, married to World Wrestling Entertainment’s disgraced founder and CEO Vince McMahon, donated $16 million to Trump fundraising groups. Trump recently nominated her to serve as secretary of the Department of Education; under his first term, McMahon was the administrator of the Small Business Administration. Linda McMahon’s net worth is roughly $3.1 billion, according to Forbes.
- Robert “Woody” Johnson, owner of the New York Jets, gifted $2.7 million to pro-Trump groups during the 2024 election. Johnson is an heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune and served as the ambassador to the United Kingdom under Trump’s first administration. Johnson's net worth is estimated at $3.3 billion, per Forbes.
- Elizabeth and Richard Uihlein each gave $5 million to pro-Trump groups. Richard Uihlein is heir to the Schlitz beer fortune; the couple is worth roughly $6 billion.
- Diane Hendricks gifted $6.3 million to pro-Trump reelection efforts during the campaign. Hendricks, a former Playboy bunny, co-founded ABC Supply Co. with her late husband in 1982; the company most recently reported more than $20.4 billion in annual sales earnings. Forbes estimates her net worth at $20.9 billion.
- Kelcy Warren, CEO of Energy Transfer Partners — the company behind the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline — donated $5.8 million to Trump groups during the 2024 campaign. Warren’s net worth is estimated at $6.2 billion.
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