PivotWhat Donald Trump's Victory Means for Elon Musk and Big Tech | Pivot
At a glance
WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT
Trump’s Win Reshapes Power for Musk, Thiel, Bezos, and Big Tech
- Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway dissect how Donald Trump’s victory is being received by major tech leaders and what it means for their power and profits. They contrast the cautious, formulaic congratulations from most CEOs with Jeff Bezos’s unusually effusive praise, raising conflicts with his ownership of The Washington Post. The conversation spotlights Peter Thiel as the quiet but pivotal power broker behind J.D. Vance and key political infrastructure, and details Elon Musk’s huge financial upside and expected policy gains from backing Trump. They also explore prediction markets, speculative trading around Trump Media, and why a future clash between Trump and Musk is likely.
IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING
5 ideasTech CEOs are flattering Trump primarily to protect shareholder value.
Swisher and Galloway argue that public congratulations from leaders like Zuckerberg, Cook, Pichai, and Altman are calculated moves to stay out of Trump’s crosshairs, minimize regulatory risk, and secure favorable treatment, even if they are personally distasteful.
Jeff Bezos’s statement stands out as unusually effusive and conflicted.
Unlike other CEOs’ neutral messages, Bezos called Trump’s win an “extraordinary political comeback,” which Swisher criticizes as “kiss-assy” and inconsistent with owning a major newsroom that should hold power to account.
Peter Thiel is framed as the key architect behind the new power structure.
They portray Thiel as the quiet mastermind whose backing was crucial for J.D. Vance’s rise, making Vance deeply indebted to him and positioning Thiel to potentially drive policy asks on taxes, deregulation, and even radical projects with little resistance.
Elon Musk’s political spending on Trump has already paid off enormously.
Musk’s roughly $119–130 million in donations is described as one of the best trades of 2024, with Tesla’s post-election surge adding around $15–26 billion to his net worth, alongside likely future benefits in EV, autonomous driving, and SpaceX contracts.
Trump Media illustrates how political events can distort and then deflate valuations.
Galloway walks through his collared call options strategy on Trump Media, noting that the stock initially spiked on Trump’s win but then slid as the market refocused on its weak fundamentals—no real revenues and heavy losses.
WORDS WORTH SAVING
5 quotes“Jeff Bezos was one of the first to kiss the ring, calling Trump's win an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory.”
— Kara Swisher
“Jeff Bezos is all about money. The Washington Post is nothing but a nuisance for him right now.”
— Scott Galloway
“All roads lead to Peter Thiel in this regard… every one of his tenets is here, is present here.”
— Kara Swisher
“With Trump's age and body mass index, there's about a one in three chance he leaves the White House feet first.”
— Scott Galloway
“Best investment of the year was Musk’s $119 million investment in the Trump campaign… 15 billion on 119 million? That's the best trade of 2024.”
— Scott Galloway
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