How the world's wealthiest made their mark at Trump's inauguration

Some of the world’s wealthiest people attended President Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20. Easily identifiable were the world's three richest men - Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg. And that's not to mention some of the billionaires not placed directly in view of the cameras.

When the riches of the billionaire tech founders, millionaire business people, and wealthy politicians are totted up there was more than $1trillion - over a thousand billion - in the rotunda of the Capitol on Monday morning. (Credits: PTI)

Elon Musk, the wealthiest individual on the Forbes real-time billionaires list, holds a fortune of $433.9 billion. The South African entrepreneur has amassed his wealth through his ownership of Tesla, the electric car company, and SpaceX, the space exploration firm. (Credits: PTI)

Next on the rich list is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, with a net worth of $239.4 billion, primarily from his company shares. Last fall, it was alleged that Bezos decided that The Washington Post, which he owns, would not endorse a candidate in the presidential race, despite the opinion staff’s push to back vice president Kamala Harris. Amazon also donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund. (Credits: AP)

The third-richest person on Forbes' list is Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, with a net worth of $211.8 billion. His company owns major social networks like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. This month, Zuckerberg reshuffled his lobbying team and updated content moderation policies to align with the incoming Republican administration. Meta also contributed $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund. (Credits: AP)

French luxury goods magnate Bernard Arnault, whose LVMH empire includes brands like Dior, Louis Vuitton, Moet & Chandon, and Sephora, has an estimated net worth of $181.3billion, according to Forbes.

Arnault attended the inauguration with his wife and two children, being the wealthiest family in France. (Credits: AP)

Miriam Adelson, ranked 55th on Forbes' richest list with a $31.9billion net worth, earned her fortune through casinos. Her late husband, Sheldon Adelson, founded Las Vegas Sands. A key supporter of President Trump, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018. Her $100 million donation to Trump’s campaign raised questions about her potential influence, especially on policies related to Israel. (Credits: AP)

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch, with a net worth of $22.2 billion was also present at the inauguration. He made his fortune through global media holdings. While his Fox network is a favorite of the US president, Murdoch's wealth grew in the UK with his acquisition of The Times and The Sun newspapers. (Credits: AP)

Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Alphabet Inc, Google's parent company, is enjoying significant success. As of early January 2025, his net worth is estimated to exceed $1.3 billion, reflecting his leadership at one of the world's most influential tech companies. (Credits: AP)

Sam Altman, a leading figure in artificial intelligence, is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and visionary. As of early 2025, Forbes estimates his net worth at around $1.1 billion. Despite being the CEO of OpenAI, his wealth doesn't stem from his salary—his 2023 compensation was just $58,333, according to IRS filings.(Credits: AP)

Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, oversees one of the world’s most valuable companies. While he holds over 3 million Apple shares, representing less than a 1% stake, he has sold hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of shares over the years. As of mid-October 2024, Forbes estimated his net worth at around $2.2 billion. (Credits: AP)