Google donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund

Google donated $1 million to the president-elect Donald Trump’etc opening fundto be the latest big tech company to try to have some goodwill with the incoming administration.

“Google is pleased to support the 2025 inauguration with a live stream on YouTube and a direct link on our homepage. We are also donating to the inaugural committee,” Karan Bhatia, Google’s global head of government affairs and public policy, told CNBC. statement.

The company made the donation on Monday. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Meta both announced a $1 million donation to the inaugural fund late last year and Amazon and apple CEO Tim Cook also reportedly contributed.

After a candidate wins a US presidential election, he or she appoints a founding committee to organize and finance the first events, such as inauguration ceremonies, galas and parades. Unlike a direct contribution to a candidate’s campaign, there is no limit on how much an individual or corporation or labor group can give to a constituent committee.

Google has donated to inauguration ceremonies in the past, and the YouTube live stream and link to the inauguration on Google’s homepage are consistent with previous inaugurations, the spokesperson said.

Trump has had a rocky relationship with big tech companies over the years, and he hasn’t shied away from criticizing the sector since the election. Late last year, he signaled that he would not rule out antitrust enforcement, a particularly sore spot for Google.

US federal judge reigned in August that the company illegally has a monopoly on search and text advertising. Arguments in the second antitrust case involving Google advertising business It closed in November, although a verdict has yet to be announced.

“Big Tech has run wild for years, stifling competition in our most innovative sector and using its market power to disenfranchise so many Americans, as well as Little Tech, as we all know!” Trump wrote on December 4 Truth Social.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai and former Alphabet president Sergey Brin met with Trump after the election, and Pichai publicly congratulated the president-elect on his “decisive victory.” a post On X.

— CNBC’s Kevin Breuninger contributed to this report