알파경제 - Trump′s Inauguration Draws Big Tech CEOs Amid TikTok′s Uncertain Future

President Donald Trump taking the oath of office. (Photo: Yonhap News)

[Alpha Biz= Kim Sangjin] On Monday (local time), the U.S. Capitol Rotunda hosted the inauguration ceremony of President Donald Trump, with the attendance of CEOs from the world's largest big tech companies.

Among the attendees were Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who was nominated as the head of the Office of Government Efficiency in the Trump administration's second term, along with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.

According to The Wall Street Journal, these tech leaders were seated near Vice President J.D. Vance, members of the Trump family, and the nominees for Trump’s second-term cabinet.

Notably, Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of Chinese video platform TikTok, was also present at the ceremony. However, he was not seated alongside the other big tech leaders, highlighting a perceived “difference in stature.”

TikTok faced the threat of a nationwide service ban in the U.S. following the implementation of the so-called “TikTok Ban Law” on January 19. However, President Trump hinted at a potential 90-day suspension of the ban, leading TikTok to temporarily halt its services before partially restoring them just hours before the law took effect. As a result, TikTok's future now hinges on President Trump's upcoming decisions.

알파경제 Kim SangJin (letyou@alphabiz.co.kr)