Several prominent tech leaders who supported former President Donald Trump are now facing massive financial setbacks. Executives like Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Apple’s Tim Cook, Google’s Sundar Pichai, Tesla’s Elon Musk, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos either donated to Trump’s campaign or inaugural fund, attended events at Mar-a-Lago, and were present at his swearing-in. But their support has not shielded them from the economic fallout of his early policy moves.
In just the first three months of Trump’s presidency, the combined value of the companies they lead has dropped by nearly $1.8 trillion — despite a brief market rebound after Trump paused some planned tariffs. As a result, the personal fortunes of these tech moguls have also taken a hit.
Their initial support for Trump likely stemmed from hopes for business-friendly policies, such as deregulation and eased antitrust scrutiny. While Trump has
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Sundar Pichai
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expressed interest in growing the tech sector and strengthening the U.S. position in artificial intelligence, his aggressive trade policies are creating serious headwinds.
The tech industry is particularly vulnerable to Trump’s tariffs, which hit supply chains based in Asia — crucial for sourcing parts and assembling devices. Even with the pause on tariffs targeting some U.S. trading partners, levies on Chinese imports are set to jump from 104% to 125%.
These tariffs not only increase costs for tech companies but may also dampen consumer spending and advertising, potentially deepening the financial impact across the sector.
