Big Tech bets big on Trump: Google donates $1mn to US President-elect’s inauguration fund
World: Google has supported previous inaugurations as well. Google donated $285,000 to Trump’s first inauguration and $337,500 to Joe Biden’s, including $52,500 for "security" services and $2,500 for "computer supplies."
Google has contributed $1 million to the inauguration fund for President-elect Donald Trump, as reported by POLITICO. This move makes the tech giant one of several major technology firms extending support to the incoming administration.
"Google is pleased to support the 2025 inauguration, with a livestream on YouTube and a direct link on our homepage. We’re also donating to the inaugural committee,” said Karan Bhatia, Google’s global head of government affairs and public policy, in a statement. The donation was made on Monday.
Other prominent figures and companies in the tech industry have also backed the inauguration fund. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Meta both pledged $1 million late last year, while Amazon and Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook have also contributed to the fund.
What is the inauguration fund?
In the United States, after a presidential election, the elected candidate forms an inaugural committee to plan and fund events such as opening ceremonies, galas, and the parade. Unlike campaign donations, contributions to an inaugural committee have no financial limits, whether made by individuals, corporations, or labour organisations.
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Google has supported previous inaugurations as well. Google donated $285,000 to Trump’s first inauguration and $337,500 to Joe Biden’s, including $52,500 for "security" services and $2,500 for "computer supplies."
Trump has been a vocal critic of major tech companies, including Google. Last month, he posted on Truth Social, “Big Tech has run wild for years, stifling competition in our most innovative sector and, as we all know, using its market power to crack down on the rights of so many Americans, as well as those of Little Tech!”
During Trump’s first term, the Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google in 2020. After leaving office, Trump sued the company in 2021, alleging that his suspensions from platforms such as YouTube amounted to “blacklisting, banishing, and cancelling.” On Truth Social last year, Trump said that, if re-elected, he would pursue "maximum levels" of criminal prosecution against Google, accusing it of only promoting negative news about him.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai and former Alphabet President Sergey Brin met with Trump after his election victory. Pichai also congratulated Trump on his "decisive victory" in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
(With inputs from agencies)
