Trump Hints At New Billionaire BFFs In His Circle (Don't Get Too Comfy, Elon Musk!)
As Donald Trump gets ready to enter the White House again, he's expressed enthusiasm for a new wave of popularity. "EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND!!!" Trump proclaimed on Truth Social. While Elon Musk already spent millions campaigning for Trump and they share a tight bond, the president-elect appears to be adding Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg to his list of chums. Both Bezos and Zuckerberg have pledged $1 million dollars each in support of Trump's January 2025 inauguration.
Beyond monetary gifts, Bezos is complimenting Trump. "He is calmer than he was the first time — more confident, more settled," Bezos observed at The New York Times DealBook Summit. He and Trump have had heated exchanges in the past. Back in 2019, Trump resorted to name-calling, coining him "Jeff Bozo" on X (formerly Twitter) while panning The Washington Post, which Bezos has owned since 2013. In 2015, after Trump repeatedly dissed Bezos' business practices, Bezos responded by offering to send him into space via his Blue Origin company. However, it was ambiguous if the offer was altruistic or intended as an insult. Despite their past differences, Bezos is now pledging his assistance in certain policy areas for Trump's second term. By December 2024, Bezos was spending time with Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
Weeks earlier, Zuckerberg got the opportunity to hang out with Trump. "Mark was grateful for the invitation to join President Trump for dinner," a Meta representative informed the BBC. "It's an important time for the future of American Innovation."
Musk is working hard to cement his BFF status
Although Donald Trump looks to be widening his social circle, Elon Musk does have the advantage already having spent a lot of quality time with the president-elect. While Bezos enjoyed a weeknight meal at Mar-a-Lago, Musk is practically an honorary member of the Trump family. The Tesla CEO celebrated Thanksgiving with the Trumps and he's purportedly been a long-term house guest on the property. Trump's granddaughter, Kai Trump posted a photo of her and Musk together, captioning it on X (formerly Twitter), "Elon achieving uncle status."
Meanwhile, Zuckerberg, like Jeff Bezos, also has to overcome a contentious past with Trump. Besides Trump manipulating Zuckerberg's name for disparaging purposes, the president-elect asserted that the Meta CEO would "spend the rest of his life in prison -– as will others who cheat in the 2024 Presidential Election" in his book "Saving America" (via CNN). However, by October 2024, Trump revealed that Zuckerberg was making friendship-building overtures. "He called me up after I was shot and he said, 'that was so brave,' which was nice," Trump divulged on the "Bussin' With The Boys" podcast.
One area where Bezos is slightly ahead compared to Musk is that he already has a home close to Mar-a-Lago. However, there's speculation that Musk may soon purchase his own place so he can be conveniently close to Trump when he's at home in Florida. Given the past drama between Musk and Bezos, it could make for interesting neighborhood dynamics.