Amazon is set to donate $1 million in cash and $1 million in-kind to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, according to a person familiar with the matter. The donation is expected to be made by founder Jeff Bezos, who is also planning a visit with Trump in the coming days.
This move comes as other tech giants, including Meta, are seeking closer relationships with the incoming president. Meta has already donated $1 million to the inaugural fund and has met with Trump privately at Mar-a-Lago.
The relationship between Trump and top tech leaders appears to be shifting. Trump had previously criticized Bezos over his ownership of The Washington Post and had met with executives from Blue Origin, another Bezos-founded company. However, in recent times, he has been praising companies that were once blamed for his 2020 electoral defeat.
Bezos denied allegations that he withheld the Post’s endorsement in the 2024 presidential race to curry favor with Trump. He wrote an op-ed stating that presidential endorsements do not influence election outcomes and that ending them is a principled decision.
The news comes after Trump appeared to threaten Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a book published this year, saying he would spend the rest of his life in prison if he cheated in the 2024 Presidential Election.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/12/tech/amazon-plans-to-donate-usd1-million-to-president-elect-donald-trumps-inauguration/index.html