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Op-Ed: Amazon, Meta, And Other Tech CEOs Allegedly Didn't Approve Of Donald Trump, Now They're Some Of His Biggest Donors Post-Election

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Americans aren’t the only ones prepping for another tedious four years under President-elect Donald Trump. Since the results of the 2024 election projected Donald Trump as the winner, tech leaders from companies like Meta, Amazon, OpenAI, and others have shelled out seven-figure investments to Trump’s inaugural fund. According to CBS News, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has donated $1 million and plans to stream the inauguration on Prime. Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, will donate $1 million, along with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who delivered an optimistic statement about the President-elect’s election win. “President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead,” Altman said in a statement, per The Associated Press. Elon Musk, CEO of X, Tesla, and SpaceX, and general pop culture menace has been a lurking presence...

Dec 26, 2024

From xAI To X To The Boring Company, What's Elon Musk's Net Worth Now?

Climbing his way into first place of today’s billionaires , South African-born Elon Musk is making headlines for his political affiliations as much as his business decisions. Two of his most well-known are Musk’s purchase of Twitter (X) in 2022 and founding of artificial intelligence startup xAI in 2023. Since the November presidential election, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO has become even richer, by 77% , than he was last year. Selling shares of Space X garnered the surpassing of his own record-setting wealth amount now making him worth more than Costco . Wondering how much that is exactly? Here’s what we know about Elon Musk’s net worth. Who Is Elon Musk? Allison Robbert-Pool / Getty Images Elon Musk received bachelor’s degrees in physics and economics from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. In 1995, he moved to California to pursue a master’s degree in physics from Stanford University. He would leave, after only two days in the program, as he was certain that the...

Dec 14, 2024

Sean 'Diddy' Combs Reportedly Listed As An Investor In X, Which Elon Musk Acquired For $44B In 2022

Elon Musk forcibly revealed X’s shareholders. The Hollywood Reporter mentions that Musk, who acquired Twitter in October 2022 for a reported $44 billion and later renamed it X, is facing a lawsuit that former employees of Twitter have filed stating he has not honored their employee contracts. As part of that proceeding, X initially shared a redacted list of company investors in 2023. NBC News notes that releasing a list that reflects investors in a company is common practice. However, journalist Jacob Silverman pushed for the full list to be shared publicly, with the aid of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP), and a motion was filed to request that X’s full records be revealed in July 2024. On Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, X was told to share a more detailed list of its investors due to an order from U.S. District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco, CA, stating that X “did not show good cause” to hide its list from the public, according to RCFP. “The Court GRANTS the...

Aug 23, 2024

Don Lemon Files Lawsuit Against Elon Musk For Failing To Uphold $1.5M Compensation For X Deal

Journalist Don Lemon has sued Elon Musk. Lemon was a co-host on CNN until he was let go from the network in April 2023, AP News mentioned. After his exit, Lemon was presented an offer from Musk, who acquired X in 2022, to form a partnership that would allow him to host his own show, “The Don Lemon Show.” According to a new lawsuit, Lemon claimed to be a “top prospect” for Musk who was seeking to onboard “reputable figures” to maintain advertiser interest, per CNBC. Variety noted the show was intended to allow Lemon to be “bigger, bolder, freer,” and he said it would “be available to everyone, easily, whenever and wherever you want it, streaming on the platforms where conversations are happening. And you’ll find it first on X, the biggest space for free speech in the world. I know now more than ever that we need a place for honest debate and discussion without the hall monitors. This is just the beginning so stay tuned.” Taping for the show kicked off with Lemon interviewing Musk....

Aug 2, 2024

Elon Musk Shares AI-Generated Video Labeling Vice President Kamala Harris As The 'Ultimate Diversity Hire' And Calls It 'Amazing'

Elon Musk has shared a fake AI video that labels Vice President Kamala Harris as the “ultimate diversity hire.” Harris is actively campaigning to receive the official Democratic nomination as she looks to become the 47th U.S. president, facing off against former President Donald Trump. She has already received the blessing of President Joe Biden, who will no longer be running for re-election. “On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country,” Harris wrote on Instagram. “I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kamala Harris (@kamalaharris) Harris’s announcement has been met with skepticism. As AFROTECH™ previously...

Jul 31, 2024

Swizz Beatz Responds To Sell-Out Claims Amid New Verzuz Partnership With X

The next chapter in the legacy of Verzuz is here. On June 19 — Juneteenth — Swizz Beatz and Timbaland announced that their Verzuz music battle platform has a new home at X, Blavity reports. “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone!” Swizz Beatz, producer and co-founder of Verzuz, wrote in a post shared on Instagram. “Verzuz is back and 100% Black owned again. Let’s give the people what’s been missing.” In a separate statement, he called X, formerly Twitter, “the best partner for Verzuz.” “Not only are we excited to have Verzuz on X, we’re excited to help X build the biggest entertainment company in the world,” Swizz Beatz said. “I would like to thank Elon Musk, Linda Yaccarino, Brett Weitz, Mitchell Smith, and the entire X team for believing in the Verzuz vision. We can’t wait to get to work.”   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Swizz Beatz (@therealswizzz) Launched during the height of the pandemic in 2020, Verzuz gave music lovers battles between favorites like...

Jun 26, 2024

Will.i.am Reflects On The Investments That Changed His Life — 'I Invested In Tesla In 2006 Before Elon Took Over'

While working in the music industry, many artists make the smart move and don’t limit themselves to only excelling in music. Will.i.am is among such musicians who are the definition of “multi-hyphenate.” As an entertainer, record producer, tech entrepreneur, and founder, the East Los Angeles, CA, native has built an extensive resume for himself. “Investor” is yet another title under his growing list of endeavors. In an interview with the “Drink Champs” podcast, Will.i.am recounted two specific investments he’s made thus far. When asked by host N.O.R.E. whether he’d choose Steve Jobs or Elon Musk — like in a game of “This or That” — Will.i.am was prompted to share how both CEOs have made an impact on his life. “I invested in Tesla in 2006 before Elon took over [the company] — around the same time,” Will.i.am explained on the podcast. He continued, “And then, I was a part of Beats. And then, Apple bought Beats from us. So you’re talking about two companies that changed my life. So, I...

May 6, 2024

Don Lemon Says Elon Musk Canceled His Partnership With X, Which Was Originally A Part Of Its Commitment To Amplify 'More Diverse Voices'

A partnership between Don Lemon and Elon Musk has seemingly soured. In January 2024, TV journalist and former CNN anchor Don Lemon announced on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) that his show, “The Don Lemon Show,” would soon be available for everyone to see — starting with X. “You’ll find it first on X, the biggest space for free speech in the world,” Lemon wrote at the time. “I know now more than ever that we need a place for honest debate and discussion without the hall monitors.” pic.twitter.com/ZO9g546oYo — Don Lemon (@donlemon) January 9, 2024 However, in an Instagram post, Lemon stated that Tesla Motors CEO and X Corp. owner Elon Musk is now retracting from teaming up with him despite the platform’s goal to magnify “new and diverse voices.” “Elon Musk has canceled the partnership I had with X, which they announced as part of their public commitment to amplifying more diverse voices on their platform,” Lemon noted on Instagram. He added, “Elon publicly...

Mar 15, 2024

Twitter Blue Users Reportedly Will Begin Seeing Payouts Of Up To $40K For Qualified Tweets

Twitter has finally disclosed details surrounding Elon Musk’s February 2023 announcement that users would be able to monetize content shared on the social media network.

Jul 14, 2023

Dionne Warwick Says Twitter 'Got Too Much Going On' As She Steps Down From Her Self-Appointed CEO Role

Dionne Warwick once jokingly referred to herself as the CEO of Twitter, but now the living legend wants no part amid all the chaos that seems to be circulating around the social media platform.

Jul 12, 2023

If You're An Instagram User, Here's One Thing You Should Know Before Making Your Threads Profile

There’s a new social media platform in town — and it’s called Threads.  

Jul 6, 2023

Black-Owned Social Platform Spill Becomes Twitter's Rival In Real Time As Users Migrate And Help It Reach No. 1 In The App Store

Some users of Twitter have migrated to a new social platform due to a temporary reading limit announced by Elon Musk.

Jul 3, 2023

Elon Musk's Neuralink Gets FDA's Approval For Brain Implant Technology, Plans To Move Forward With Human Trials

The world seems to be stepping into scary hours, and this time it’s not about a Drake song. Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s latest venture, Neuralink, gained the necessary approval to move forward as a brain implant and surgical tool.

May 31, 2023

Twitter Backed Minority-Led VC Firms But Has Now Dropped Its Support Team, Leaving Fund Managers Scrambling

Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter has been a rollercoaster experience. The purchase of the social media giant came with significant changes including massive layoffs and payments for the once-coveted blue check. Not to mention, AfroTech reported that one of the significant shifts with Musk as CEO was the closing of Twitter’s Africa office. The Ghana office had only 20 employees but was closed just days after officially opening. Surprising moves like the layoffs and added restrictions have been back to back as Musk navigates his power leading the company. A recent development in the shake-up is the dissolution of its corporate development team that supported minority-owned venture capital firms. According to Forbes, Twitter could be backing out of its promise of millions to venture capital firms and small businesses.

Apr 25, 2023

LeBron James Among Many Twitter Users Against Paying For The Blue Check — 'If You Know Me I Ain't Paying'

Twitter is about to conduct a full sweep of users’ free blue checks including big-name public figures and celebrities.

Mar 31, 2023