"How Billionaires Use Trump to Secure Power and Profits"

The ultra-wealthy and corporate giants aligning themselves with President Donald Trump are not doing so out of fear or genuine admiration. Instead, they are making calculated moves to secure their influence over policy, regulation, and financial benefits that will bolster their power. Their public shows of support are less about deference and more about self-interest.

The Billionaire Playbook: Influence Over Submission

Since Trump’s return to power, billionaires and corporate elites have positioned themselves within his sphere, not as loyal followers, but as strategic actors leveraging their influence. Former Washington Post cartoonist Ann Telnaes highlighted this dynamic in her final unpublished piece, which depicted major media moguls—Jeff Bezos, Patrick Soon-Shiong, Sam Altman, and Mark Zuckerberg—kneeling before a statue of Trump. Her resignation from the Post was a protest against what she saw as growing corporate subservience to political power.

Yet, these billionaires are not merely bowing to Trump’s authority. Their financial and political maneuvers suggest they are ensuring that the policies of his administration align with their interests. They are not victims of a strongman’s rule—they are the architects shaping its direction.

Money Talks: Investments in Power

The financial backing from billionaires for Trump’s 2024 campaign and post-election transition makes this clear. Figures like Elon Musk, Miriam Adelson, and Linda McMahon have poured vast sums into Trump’s campaign. Meanwhile, corporations such as Amazon, Meta, Bank of America, and Goldman Sachs contributed significantly to Trump’s inauguration fund, ensuring their continued proximity to power.

Beyond donations, corporations have sought to align themselves with Trump in more direct ways. Recent settlements from Disney-ABC and Meta over past disputes with Trump suggest an effort to mend fences and maintain favor. These actions reflect the reality that for corporate giants, Trump represents a means to an end: more profit, greater deregulation, and an even stronger grip on economic and governmental structures.

The Policy Payoff: Deregulation and Corporate Gains

Trump’s executive orders since taking office illustrate how the billionaire class is steering his administration. While some orders cater to the conservative base through policies targeting gender identity, immigration, and federal oversight, many have directly benefited corporate interests. Orders such as Declaring a National Energy Emergency and Unleashing American Energy pave the way for fewer restrictions on big business, particularly in fossil fuels and infrastructure. Others, like Establishing and Implementing the President’s Department of Government Efficiency, are designed to reduce federal oversight, effectively allowing corporations to regulate themselves.

Another telling move has been Trump’s directives to curtail the work of federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC, and the FDA. This not only weakens public institutions but also gives private companies an open field to dominate sectors like healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology without competition from publicly funded research.

The Bigger Picture: A Government for the FewTrump

Perhaps the most controversial act of Trump’s second term thus far was his attempt to freeze federal grants and loans, a move that, if successful, would have gutted funding for essential programs like food aid, student loans, and social services. The administration justified the action as a rejection of “wasteful” progressive initiatives, but critics argue it was a bid to reallocate funds toward ventures that benefit private industry, such as Trump’s AI initiative, the Stargate Initiative—a plan Musk himself mocked for its lack of funding.

Beyond policy, there are growing concerns about the access billionaires have been granted to government databases, including sensitive information regarding Social Security and Medicare. The implications of such access raise alarming questions about the privatization of public resources and the erosion of democratic safeguards.

The Ultimate Goal: An Unchecked Corporate State Trump

Journalist Sarah Kendzior once wrote that Trump’s real competence lies in “stripping America down for parts and selling those parts to the highest bidder.” This is precisely the game being played today. The billionaire class is not submitting to Trump—they are using him as a tool to dismantle democratic institutions and regulatory frameworks that limit their reach.

Ultimately, this is about more than Trump himself. It is about reshaping America into a corporate-controlled state, where billionaires are free to dictate policy while the public remains disoriented, exhausted, and powerless to resist. The real question is whether Americans will recognize this shift in time to fight back or if they will remain caught in the illusion that Trump is the one holding the reins, rather than the wealthiest elite pulling the strings from behind the scenes.