- Decisions, decisions.
- Some billionaires and CEOs are deciding whether to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration or catch the first day of Davos.
- Attending Trump’s inauguration could mean scoring face time with the new President and his administration.
It’s a scheduling conflict most of us will never know.
Some of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful people are staring down a decision as the first major events of the billionaire social calendar this year overlap.
President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20 coincides with the first day of Davos, an annual gathering of the world’s business and politics elite in Davos, Switzerland, held by the World Economic Forum.
Those invited to both must now decide: Do they miss potential face time with the incoming president and members of his inner circle, or skip a day of networking with political leaders and business titans from around the globe?
Trump’s swearing-in begins at noon ET on Monday.
The first item on the agenda at Davos, titled “First Impressions: Inauguration Day,” starts at 3 p.m. local time Monday. (Davos is six hours ahead of Washington, DC.) Later on Monday, an awards ceremony begins at 6 p.m. Davos time, followed by an open forum and an opening concert, both at 6:30 p.m. Given the time difference, you couldn’t possibly attend both Trump’s inauguration and Davos Day 1 in person — even with a private jet.
A slew of major US companies or their execs made $1 million donations to Trump’s inauguration fund, including Meta, Amazon, Google, OpenAI, and Uber.
Attending the inauguration in addition to making a donation could be a savvy business move. Trump was a vocal critic of Big Tech in his first term, so those firms and their execs could benefit from maneuvering to be in his good graces when he retakes the Oval Office.
Big donations to presidential inauguration funds typically come with exclusive perks, like seats for the inaugural address or entry to black-tie balls or other events.
Donors who gave $1 million towards the fund were supposed to receive six tickets apiece to six different events, including Trump’s swearing-in and a January 19 “candlelight dinner” with Trump and his wife, Melania, The New York Times reported, citing documents on the matter. Some big donors, however, may no longer receive VIP tickets as some events have already reached capacity, according to the report.
While it will be come more clear who opted for a trip to D.C. on Monday, there are some CEOs that seem likely to attend Trump’s inauguration.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been frequently spotted by Trump’s side since the election and has lambasted Davos in the past.
Screenshots of invitations for a black-tie reception Monday night co-hosted by Mark Zuckerberg also circulated on social media this week. According to the circulating invite, Zuck will be co-hosting the event alongside Miriam Adelson, the billionaire widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson; Tilman Fertitta, Trump’s pick for US ambassador to Italy; and Chicago Cubs owner Todd Ricketts and his wife, Sylvie Légère.
For those who choose to attend the inauguration, they’ll still be able to catch much of Davos. The annual event concludes on January 24.
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