'America's billionaire cabinet': an article with a *little* background info on the "Apartheid Bros" (Musk, Thiel, Sack)

[eppur_se_muova]

(Not a whole lot of insight, many here may already know much of this, but some of the minor details are interesting. Short article.)

'America's billionaire cabinet': Rich tech moguls wield unprecedented influence over US presidency

The 'billionaire hive' is set to take on significant roles in Trump's cabinet, reminiscent of financial barons of the past; Elon Musk and his tech mogul allies, including Peter Thiel and Larry Ellison, are primed to shape the Trump presidency, blending libertarian ideals with conservative politics

Raphael Kahan|11.06.24 | 15:17

If there's a headline for Trump's victory as the 47th president, it might read, "America's Billionaire Cabinet." Why? Because for the first time since the 19th century, an era known as the Gilded Age, billionaires wield unprecedented influence over the identity and policy direction of the American presidency.

In a defining moment in U.S. history, one billionaire (Elon Musk) blatantly helped another (Donald Trump) secure election victory. While billionaires have always dabbled in governance, Washington's political landscape traditionally empowers politicians who don't take kindly to outsiders meddling in their affairs.

The billionaire hive

Backing Musk is a hive of tech moguls: Mark Zuckerberg, who significantly curtailed political posts on Facebook; Jeff Bezos, who blocked the Washington Post from publishing support for Kamala Harris; Peter Thiel, a long-time Trump supporter; and Oracle founder Larry Ellison, alongside Oracle CEO Safra Catz, an Israeli-American. While figures like Tim Cook, Satya Nadella and Larry Page lean toward the Democrats, the "hive members" who aided Trump's path to victory clearly align with conservative values.

Musk and Thiel are prominent libertarian figures. They champion crypto, artificial intelligence, selling technology to foreign militaries and a brand of capitalism liberated from all regulation, which they see as a burden on their businesses. They enjoy sharing their views, unlike Zuckerberg, Bezos and Ellison, who shy away from late-night shows or gossip columns but gladly voice their opinions when asked, aligning with the Republican Party's conservative stance.

Peter Thiel might be the brains, but Elon Musk is the driving force of Trump's Silicon Valley hive. Known worldwide, Musk's adventures are no secret. But did you know he's actually South African, from a family that owned a diamond mine, with a successful model mother and staunch apartheid supporters? Musk lived in apartheid South Africa until age 17, then moved to Canada and later the U.S.
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a little more: https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/sjkilsyb1x

This was posted in the Business section of an Israeli paper. Don't know what kind of political orientation it, or the author, might have.

Honestly, I posted this mostly to get the "Apartheid Bros" meme going.