Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has tried to distance himself from politics, is showing favoritism to President-elect Donald J. Trump.
Mr. Zuckerberg is one of several Big Tech executives expected to be central figures at Mr. Trump's inauguration next week. He will be one of four hosts for a black-tie reception on January 20th, along with longtime Republican donors Miriam Adelson and Todd Ricketts, who will celebrate President Donald J. Trump and J.D.・We are planning to host a party to celebrate Vice President Vance's inauguration. In a copy of the invitation seen by The New York Times. This incident was first reported by Pac.
Business leaders often argue that supporting the inauguration is a patriotic act and not political support for the president. Facebook's parent company Meta declined to comment.
Mr. Zuckerberg rarely puts his name in political events. He did not play a similar role at President Biden's 2020 inauguration or Trump's first inauguration in 2016.
But he underwent something of a political reinvention last year. He visited Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort last week. And since the November election, he announced a series of changes to Meta that have pleased Trump's advisers.
Mr. Zuckerberg is one of a number of tech company leaders who are making their case against the Republican administration, which has significant influence over the industry.
Apple CEO Tim Cook will sit at the inauguration ceremony along with other executives from major technology companies, people familiar with the matter said. NBC News reported Tuesday that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will be a similarly high-profile perch. Representatives for Mr. Bezos did not respond to requests for comment.
And Elon Musk, Trump's biggest supporter in the tech industry, is expected to be around Washington as he prepares to play a bigger role in the administration.
Inaugural celebrations are hugely popular in America's corporate world, and some companies and executives have donated to support Trump's inaugural committee, even though there is no guarantee they will win a seat.
trip mickle and Karen Wise Contributed to the report.
