President-elect Trump’s inauguration will bring together some of the country’s most prominent technology leaders this week, underscoring the results of a monthslong push by the industry to reconcile with the incoming president.

Between inaugural donations, trips to Mar-a-Lago and policy changes, the tech titans have made headway with Trump, who spent years hammering the companies in the traditionally deep blue Silicon Valley.

The industry’s emerging relationship with the president-elect will be on full display Monday, with leaders like Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and others expected to be seated together nearby.

“You have this incoming president, elevating these people, seating them on the dais and... effectively trying to make them captives of his policymaking,” said Daniel Alpert, managing partner at the investment firm Westwood Capital.

“The market is receiving it as Trump showing support for these companies, but really what he’s doing is it’s more like organized crime,” Alpert added. “It’s an offer you can’t refuse. He’s co-opting them in full and he’s basically saying, ‘I own you and you owe me.’”

The tech leaders were originally supposed to sit on the dais — a position of honor where Trump’s family members, former presidents and other high-profile guests would sit.

The seating arrangement is now unclear after the ceremony was moved indoors to the Capitol rotunda due to expected cold weather.

Other tech leaders, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, will also be in attendance, The Hill has confirmed. Apple CEO Tim Cook is reportedly also expected to appear.

The chorus of tech leaders standing nearby Trump on Monday would have been an unlikely scene during his first administration. In 2016, many of the same people voiced concerns about Trump’s ascendance in the political world.

But Trump’s third bid for president gained steam last year, Silicon Valley seemed keen to put the past behind them.

In the months and weeks leading up to Election Day, tech leaders reached out to Trump.

Cook called to discuss Apple’s concerns about Europe, while Pichai........

© The Hill