Trump’s love-hate relationship with Silicon Valley is complicated.
He rails against censorship, “woke” companies, and AI doom, but some of the biggest names in tech are increasingly aligned with him — or at least betting that his presidency is good for business.
Money, markets, and influence all play into it. Let’s take a look at the tech power players most publicly in Trump’s corner.
Elon Musk
From Twitter Spaces chats to direct policy influence, Musk has positioned himself as Trump’s most visible tech ally. Markets see his support as both ideological and financial leverage.
Peter Thiel
The PayPal co-founder and Palantir backer has long funded populist candidates. Thiel’s deep pockets and data obsession keep him tied to Trump-world power plays.
David Sacks
A vocal critic of Democrats and Silicon Valley groupthink, Sacks has emerged as a Trump-friendly VC, giving airtime to pro-Trump voices and policy lines.
Marc Andreessen
Not an overt MAGA cheerleader, but his critiques of regulation, defense of free markets, and wariness of AI guardrails line up closely with Trump’s deregulatory stance.
Vivek Ramaswamy
More politician than technologist, but his biotech background and venture connections make him a bridge between Trump and parts of the startup ecosystem.
Joe Lonsdale
The 8VC founder keeps pushing a narrative of innovation strangled by government — and Trump’s anti-regulatory message syncs right up.
Chamath Palihapitiya
The “SPAC King” flirts with populist rhetoric and anti-establishment vibes. Not a direct ally, but prediction markets see him drifting Trump’s way.
Palantir
Less a person, more a company with a history of defense contracts and government ties. Palantir’s positioning fits neatly into Trump’s strongman-national-security lane.
Crypto Backers
Bitcoin maximalists and crypto PACs are moving Trump’s way, seeing him as friendlier to digital assets than Democrats cracking down on exchanges.
Wildcard: Big Tech Silence
Markets also bet on who doesn’t speak. Apple and Google executives aren’t rushing to Trump’s side, and their absence is part of the story too.
Takeaway
Tech’s relationship with Trump isn’t all about ideology — it’s about alignment of power, deregulation, and who benefits when the White House tilts pro-business. Prediction markets put Musk and Thiel at the top of Trump’s tech roster, with a cluster of VCs and crypto backers not far behind. The real bet? Whether this alliance holds if policy meets profit.
