Tag Archives: Inaugural

Tech giants Google and Microsoft donate $1 million each to President Trump’s inaugural fund

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Google and Microsoft each contributed $1 million to President Donald Trump’s Inaugural Fund, along with companies like Amazon, Meta, OpenAI, and Uber.

“Google is supporting the 2025 Inauguration with a live stream on YouTube and a direct link to the homepage. We are also donating to the inaugural committee,” said Google Government Affairs & Public Policy global head Karan Bhatia in a statement to the Guardian on Thursday.

Google made the donation on Monday, as reported by CNBC. Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda mentioned that the company had previously donated to the Inauguration Fund and hosted a livestream of the inauguration.

Microsoft confirmed its $1 million donation to President Trump’s inaugural fund in a statement to Bloomberg on Thursday. The company had also donated to Trump’s 2017 inauguration and Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration.

Many other major companies made significant donations to President Trump’s inaugural fund last month, including Toyota, Uber, Amazon, Meta, and OpenAI.

These donations helped raise funds for President Trump’s inaugural committee, which received a $170 million donation. This appears to be an attempt by tech giants to gain favor with President Trump for his second term in office.

President Trump’s relationship with big tech companies has been contentious, but as his inauguration approaches, there seems to be a shift in tone from both parties.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai criticized the January 6 riot and praised President Trump’s victory. President Trump also noted a change in attitude towards him from various tech companies.

Mark Zuckerberg of Meta Inc. announced changes in the company’s approach to fact-checking and censorship, aiming to reduce censorship and recommend more political content across their platforms.

Experts believe that contributing to Trump’s inauguration is a way for tech companies to gain support from the new administration and avoid being targeted by President Trump in the future.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Uber and its CEO contribute $1 million each to President Trump’s inaugural fund

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Uber and its CEO have donated $1 million to Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, joining a growing list of technology companies and executives seeking to build good relations with the incoming administration.

This donation was announced by a spokesperson for Uber Technologies. The Wall Street Journal reported that on Tuesday, Uber and its CEO Dara Khosrowshahi each donated $1 million to Trump’s fund. Uber did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Guardian.

Uber had previously donated $1 million to President Biden’s 2021 inauguration, but Khosrowshahi did not donate to that event, according to the Wall Street Journal. The $1 million donation to Trump’s fund is said to be Khosrowshahi’s largest contribution to a political candidate or presidential inaugural fund.

The donations from Uber and Khosrowshahi add to a growing list of tech companies and executives who have pledged to donate $1 million to the president-elect’s inaugural fund.

Mehta, CEO of OpenAI, confirmed last week that he had donated $1 million to the foundation. CEO Sam Altman of OpenAI also planned to make a $1 million personal donation to the foundation. Amazon is also preparing to donate $1 million to Trump’s fund.

Unlike companies and executives like Mark Zuckerberg, Mehta, and Jeff Bezos, Uber and Khosrowshahi do not have a historically strained relationship with President Trump, making their donations especially significant.

Notably, Tony West, Uber’s chief legal officer, is the brother-in-law of Vice President and former Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. Mr. West took time off to volunteer with Mr. Harris’ presidential campaign before returning to his role at Uber.

Donations to inaugural committees are common among large companies looking to establish better relations with the new administration.

According to Amazon, the company donated $57,746 to President Trump’s first inaugural fund in 2017. Open Secrets reported that other companies such as Google and Microsoft also made donations. Mehta confirmed to the Guardian that he did not donate in 2017.

Recent donations from tech companies and executives come amidst reports of perks being offered to top donors to the president-elect’s inaugural fund. Since Trump’s election win, he has dined with several technology company executives.

In the past month, Trump has dined with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at his Mar-a-Lago mansion. Apple CEO Tim Cook; as well as Google’s Sundar Pichai and Sergey Brin; are among those who have had dinners with Trump. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is scheduled to have dinner with Trump this week.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Tech Industry Begins to Support President-Elect as Amazon Contributes $1 million to Inaugural Fund

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Amazon is the latest tech giant to donate to Donald Trump’s inaugural fund.

Reports indicate that the company plans to donate $1 million to the fund, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Following in Meta’s footsteps, Facebook’s parent company, which also donated $1 million to President Trump’s inaugural committee, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that he would make a personal donation of $1 million. This was reported by Fox News.

As President Trump prepares for his second term, several major tech companies are showing support in hopes of gaining favor for their businesses. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is scheduled to meet with President Trump next week, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently dined with him at his Mar-a-Lago mansion. Google CEO Sundar Pichai is also expected to meet the president soon, according to reports. Time magazine, owned by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, even named Trump its “Person of the Year.”

Altman of OpenAI expressed his belief that Trump will lead the country in technological advancement. In a statement to the Guardian, Altman said, “President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I look forward to supporting his efforts to ensure the United States stays ahead.”

Donating to inaugural committees is a common practice for large companies seeking to establish rapport with the incoming administration. Amazon, for example, donated $57,746 to President Trump’s first inaugural fund in 2017, according to Open Secrets. Google and Microsoft also made donations, while Mehta confirmed to the Guardian that he did not donate that year.

Amazon stated that during Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration, the administration declined donations from technology companies, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Allegedly, Trump plans to offer additional perks to donors who contribute at least $1 million to his inaugural committee, including access to various events around the inauguration, dinners with Trump, Cabinet nominations, and a dinner with J.D. Vance, according to the New York Times.

Bezos, who owns the Washington Post, has been a target of Trump’s criticism. However, before the election, the Washington Post decided not to endorse a presidential candidate, likely in an attempt to avoid provoking Trump, as reported by The Washington Post.

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After Trump’s victory, Bezos and Amazon CEO Andy Jassy expressed their support for the new administration. Bezos praised Trump for the opportunities ahead, while Jassy celebrated the victory and expressed eagerness to collaborate with the administration. Amazon’s stock price reportedly rose by 14% after the election.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Shetland Islands’ Saxavod Spaceport receives license for UK’s inaugural vertical rocket launch | Latest UK News

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A site on the northernmost tip of the Shetland Islands has become the UK’s first licensed spaceport for vertical rocket launches.

The Saxavod spaceport, located on the small island of Unst, has received a license from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and will be able to conduct its first launch in 2024.

Regulators have verified that the privately owned spaceport meets safety and environmental requirements for vertical space launches.

Frank and Debbie Strong have owned a former RAF base on a remote peninsula in Unst since 2004.

Authorized for up to 30 launches per year, it caters to companies looking to launch satellites into polar or sun-synchronous orbits.

Just under £30 million has so far been spent on developing the spaceport, which includes three launch pads and a hangar for assembling rockets.

Two German companies, Rocket Factory Augsburg and High Impulse, hope to launch from Saxavoord in 2024.

The couple also have plans to build a hotel and visitor center in Saxavod.

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Frank Strang and his wife Debbie own the Saxavod Spaceport in Unst.Photo: Sakusa Vod

“A moment that defined an era”

Tim Johnson, director of space regulation at the CAA, said: “The granting of the license to Saxavoord is a defining moment for the UK space sector.”

“We could soon be rocketing satellites into orbit from Scotland, marking the start of a new chapter for British space.

“We are undertaking important work to ensure the UK’s space activities are safe and sustainable for everyone.”

image:
Photo: Sakusa Vod

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Photo: Sakusa Vod

Mr Strang said the award of the license was “historic” and said: “Our team is extremely proud to have been entrusted by the government to operate a complex, multi-disciplinary, multi-launch spaceport. We all take this responsibility very seriously.”

“There is still a lot of work to do, but this is a great way to end the year and head into Christmas.”

Cornwall Spaceport has become the UK’s first licensed spaceport, but the Saxavord approval allows aircraft to launch rockets vertically rather than horizontally.

Source: news.sky.com

Climactic launches inaugural fund as partners shift focus to upcoming surge in climate technology M&A activity

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A few years Earlier, when the pandemic was still in full swing, Raj Kapoor and Josh Felser started investing in climate change technology startups.they called their operation climax, and initially placed bets using their own money. Although we are both experienced founders, managers, and investors, this is our first time focusing on this specific sector and we started by testing the waters.

The company announced today that it has closed a $65 million founding fund and used it to support founders launching a climate technology software company.

Mr. Kapur and Mr. Felser both have long histories as investors, with Mr. Felser co-founding Freestyle Capital and Mr. Kapur spending seven years as a managing director at Mayfield Funds. They also founded and sold their own software startup.

It’s a little surprising that it took this long for the two to work together. Their resumes are strikingly similar. Felser said that in 1997 he founded Spinner (sold to AOL) and in 2004 he founded Crackle (sold to Sony). He also launched the #Climate nonprofit in 2014 and created a public-private coronavirus task force during the pandemic. Mr. Kapur previously served as chief strategy officer at Lyft, and before that he founded Snapfish (acquired by HP) and FitMob (acquired by ClassPass). He also launched a nonprofit climate social app in 2007.

Those experiences, combined with a growing concern about the state of the Earth’s climate, led the two to form Climactic.

“If we can get the top 50 supply chains to meet their net-zero goals, rather than just pay lip service, we’ll have the biggest impact,” Kapur told TechCrunch+. “To get there, we think the low-hanging fruit is software, because there are a lot of efficiencies to be gained.”

Source: techcrunch.com