By merging with the U.S. arm of TikTok, Perplexity could emerge as a stronger search rival to Alphabet, a potential blow to Google stock.

Cabinet members, governors, and long-serving public servants are positioned in rows behind the tech billionaires, with only family seated ahead of them.

Some of the tech industry’s biggest names were present at Trump’s inauguration. Among the attendees were Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon executive chairman Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.

Some industry observers told ABC News that the ostensible softening toward Trump by big-tech corporations reflects a new business landscape that is both heavily influenced by the president-elect and increasingly defined by the development of energy-intensive artificial intelligence products.

Among the tech CEOs in attendance at Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony inside the Capitol rotunda on Monday, Jan. 20, were Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Tim Cook

Jeff Bezos-backed Perplexity launched its AI-powered mobile assistant for Android, featuring multimodal capabilities to rival Google.

Sánchez, who wore a white blazer and lace bralette alongside Bezos, was seen inside the Capitol Rotunda ahead of the official swearing-in ceremony.

President Donald Trump's inauguration was packed with the ultra-rich, some seated closer to the incoming president than his incoming cabinet. The personal net worth of just three of these people combined (Mark Zuckerberg,

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 20: Guests including Mark Zuckerberg, Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk attend the Inauguration of Donald J. Trump in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on January 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Photo by Julia Demaree Nikhinson – Pool/Getty Images.

“The golden age of America begins right now,” Trump proclaimed. For his billionaire backers, it has already begun.

A who's who of tech titans, business magnates, and global elites attended President Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration, including Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg.

Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump’s second inauguration into the Oval Office was highlighted by one singular scene that will remain in viewers’ minds as the emblem of the day: Big Tech’s CEOs and some of the world’s biggest billionaires on center stage.