Tech Titans at the Inauguration: A Glimpse Behind the Scenes
The protocol, overseen by Donald Trump, deliberately placed them in that location, right under a painting depicting a historical capitulation: that of British General John Burgoyne in 1777, before George Washington, the future first president of the United States, to whom the president-elect sometimes compares himself. But did they even notice? For the moment, the tech giants are primarily concerned with the cameras filming them, neatly aligned, awaiting the start of the inauguration ceremony on January 20th.
The whole world saw the scene, without knowing the behind-the-scenes details. All our characters are there, however. There, at the heart of the Capitol, that symbol of American democracy that Trump’s supporters had stormed on January 6, 2021, or hidden in the secondary rooms of power. And that’s where we must begin to better understand this new nomenklatura that has become rich in less than a quarter of a century by penetrating our lives.
Even before entering under the dome, where the cream of the guests is to attend the ceremony, the first guests heard that thunderous cascade that often allows you to spot Jeff Bezos when he arrives somewhere, framed by his assistants, makeup artist, and bodyguards. Within the empire that his company Amazon has become, he is a ruthless and dry leader. With a “low tolerance for stupidity,” his executives say, as if to excuse him.
Outside, he is quite the opposite: affable, jovial, attentive to others, of great political flexibility. A good nature, therefore. Not long ago, the billionaire who revolutionized online commerce – and often the labor market – with his all-out deliveries, was still considered a convinced supporter of the Democrats. The Washington Post, the prestigious newspaper he bought in 2013, had even called for voting for Hillary Clinton in 2016, and then for Joe Biden in 2020. But business is business.
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