The Elon Musk effect: Tech bros of the Silicon Valley unite

So however did the swearing-in of Donal Trump arsenic the President crook into a tech billionaires’ meet-up?

Well, we telephone it the Elon Musk Effect.

To recognize it, we request to instrumentality a speedy look astatine Donald Trump’s Presidential campaign. After helium claimed connected X that helium volition not beryllium donating to either of the statesmanlike candidates, Elon Musk not lone spent a sum of astir $277 cardinal to enactment Trump and different Republicans  but besides campaigned aggressively for Trump, attending rallies and adjacent hosting solo events.

Just to beryllium ace clear, I americium not donating wealth to either campaigner for US President

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 6, 2024

Musk was adjacent accused of utilizing X to propulsion far-right agendas arsenic galore researchers noted that the level was abruptly becoming a mouthpiece for the close wing. In his defence, astatine an lawsuit successful Pennsylvania, conscionable a small implicit a period earlier the Presidential elections, Musk stated that X was politically neutral and remained a level playing tract for some sides.

Fast forward, Donald Trump gets elected arsenic POTUS and it is rather evident that Musk had a immense relation to play. With Musk getting to beryllium the ‘Voice of Tech’ successful the recently elected President’s ear, it wasn’t agelong earlier each of the tech bros of Silicon Valley jumped astatine the accidental to person a spot astatine the Trump table.

Trump’s Inaugural committee raised a monolithic sum of USD 170 cardinal to big a bid of events astir his swearing successful ceremonial (which incidentally, is funded by taxpayers). A ample chunk of this sum came from a fig of tech CEOs. Zuckerberg, Cook, Altman, Bezos, Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, Google, and Microsoft each donated $1 Million each to President elect’s inaugural fund. Soon it seemed similar a precise exclusive tech billionaires’ nine was forming astatine the apical with Trump astatine the centre of it.

This coming unneurotic of tech giants often seen arsenic rivals was truthful evident that outgoing President Joe Biden not lone mentioned it successful his farewell speech, but adjacent warned against it, saying:

“Today, an oligarchy is taking signifier successful America of utmost wealth, powerfulness and power that truly threatens our full democracy, our basal rights and freedom,”.

He besides expressed his interest implicit “the emergence of tech-industrial complex” and however Americans are being buried nether an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation which is enabling the maltreatment of power.

The Musk effect was not constricted to donations and campaigns. Recently, successful an interrogation with Joe Rogan, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, not lone openly addressed issues Meta faced during Biden’s presidency word but expressed optimism astatine the predetermination of the caller President.

Zuckerberg besides talked astir however Meta subsidiaries, Facebook, Threads and Instagram volition fto spell of their 3rd enactment information checking programme and regenerate it with a assemblage driven system, which is surprise, surprise, precise akin to what happened connected X nether Musk’s watch. Much similar Elon Musk’s X, the members of the assemblage would beryllium capable to emblem posts arsenic existent oregon mendacious on with adding discourse to it. Zuckerberg claims this determination volition beforehand escaped code connected these societal media platforms and volition region bias (if any) that can beryllium portion of information checking programs.

Apart from ditching its information checking programs, Zuckerberg besides mentioned however Meta companies volition loosen their contented moderation policy, fundamentally letting users criticise immigrants, transgenders oregon non-binary radical adjacent much strongly. To circular it each off, Zuckerberg besides stressed however corporate civilization needed much “masculine energy.”

All of this aligns mostly with the dependable of the acold right, and the values connected which Trump campaigned and regained the presidency. They besides are successful sync with ideologies Musk has been vocalising for immoderate clip now. Apart from the nationalist praises and argumentation changes, Zuckerberg adjacent added Dana White, erstwhile UFC Chief Executive and a precise adjacent state of President Donald Trump, to Meta’s board. After the merchandise of the Zuckerberg interview, successful which helium besides criticised companies similar Apple, galore felt that the Meta CEO was simply letting years of pent up feelings spell and becoming very, you guessed it, Musk-like.

Even earlier the election, the Washington Post, aft much than 30 years, decided that the editorial committee volition not beryllium endorsing a statesmanlike candidate. It was a determination that shocked a fig of people, and was an unfastened invitation to wide disapproval from some close and near helping journalists, galore of them Pulitzer Prize winners. Many were besides speedy to constituent retired that the work aft all, was owned by Amazon Chairman, Jeff Bezos, who had acquired it successful 2013, though Bezos himself defended the Post’s determination arsenic “right” and “principled.”

The fearfulness of missing retired amongst the billionaire tech bros (yes, they look to person FOMO too), seems to person agreed them and has landed them successful a nine of sorts. A nine of the elite. And portion Trump is the elected president of the United States, Musk seems to beryllium the president of this caller club, trying to sway galore of its members to travel successful his right-wing, Trump-friendly footsteps. Many of them inactive look to beryllium apprehensive, portion others are openly enthusiastic.

The question that present remains is whether the Elon Musk Effect volition deterioration disconnected soon oregon are we going to spot the caller tech club, and subsequently the tech satellite itself, get consumed by it completely?