Some tech elites are embracing Trump. Australian industry insiders aren't surprised.
Tech leaders like Elon Musk and Marc Andreessen are bucking the industry's liberalism and putting their wallets and their words behind the former president.
Minutes after a shooter failed to assassinate the former president, Elon Musk took to X to officially endorse Donald Trump's campaign to return to the White House.
It was a significant shift. Musk has long described himself as a centrist and previously said he would donate to neither candidate in 2024. After voicing support for Trump on the weekend, Musk is reportedly putting his money where his mouth is — pledging USD45 million a month to Trump’s campaign, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Musk is one of a number of high-profile tech luminaries to swing towards Trump. On Tuesday, legendary VCs Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz — the former of whom has voted Democrat since the days of Bill Clinton — announced they too would vote for and financially support Trump.
The tech industry in the United States, and particularly San Francisco and Silicon Valley, has long been a bastion of progressive liberalism. It has also served as a key part of the Democratic Party coalition since the early 2000s, solidified by Barack Obama's first term. The move towards Trump and the Republican Party by some prominent figures in the industry represents a break from this trend.
