Why do Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, including Elon Musk, support Donald Trump?

Several tech figures have decided in recent weeks to contribute financially to the former Republican president’s campaign.

Published


Update


Reading time: 2 min

Elon Musk and his social network X. Illustrative photo. (JONATHAN RAA / NURPHOTO / AFP)

Long isolated in a region considered very Democratic, right-wing entrepreneurs in California’s Silicon Valley are increasingly uniting around Donald Trump. With the millions of dollars promised by Elon Musk to support the former president’s campaign, this movement should gain in strength. An hour after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, the Tesla boss thus showed his support for him “total” on his social network X.

In the process, the American press revealed that Elon Musk promised to give 45 million dollars per month to a group supporting the Republican leader’s presidential campaign, a sum “extraordinary” comment on the Wall Street JournalThe action committee, called Ameria PAC, is part of what are known as “super PACs,” legal entities that cannot directly fund a candidate but are allowed to spend lavishly on advertising and field activities.

They want Trump to promote several sectors, including cryptocurrency

Other lesser-known tech figures are also getting involved in funding the committee, including Joe Lonsdale, a co-founder of a cybersecurity firm, and Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen, who fund many Silicon Valley companies. These millionaires, who made their fortunes in the tech sector, are counting on Donald Trump to promote cryptocurrencies, fund the expansion of defense technology, with China in their sights, or counter regulators who want to slow down startup acquisitions.

White men who reject woke ideology

These Donald Trump supporters from Silicon Valley are also predominantly white men, who reject en bloc the so-called woke ideology, which according to them promotes diversity and equality to the detriment of efficiency and excellence.

The latest example of this aversion: Elon Musk has decided to relocate the headquarters of X and SpaceX to Texas. The billionaire announced this on Tuesday, July 16, on his social network, angry about a new law that prohibits California schools from informing a student’s parents of their sexual orientation or possible intention to change sex. According to him, this law destroys parental rights and “may cause permanent harm to children.”

Trump Running Mate JD Vance Called ‘Tech Bro’

Another announcement that is fueling the fire of Republican voters in Silicon Valley is the choice of Donald Trump’s future vice president if he is elected. JD Vance, the 39-year-old senator named as the Republican candidate’s running mate, is one of the former president’s most loyal lieutenants. This anti-establishment elected official had a career in the army, as a lawyer, but also in Silicon Valley, before entering politics.

The appointment of this former investor in start-ups has finally convinced conservative Californian entrepreneurs, some of whom describe him as a real “tech brother” on social networks.


source site-29