[Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, is reportedly seeking an “active role” in shaping tech policy in the incoming administration, despite his previous disinterest in politics. This change of heart may be due to the fact that Donald Trump has won reelection, and Zuckerberg knows that failing to flatter the president-elect could have negative consequences for his company.
Zuckerberg’s shift in approach is reflective of a broader trend in corporate leadership, where executives are now more likely to prioritize maintaining a good relationship with the president over speaking out on political issues. This is exemplified by the fact that many tech CEOs have been tweeting congratulations to Trump, and companies are backtracking on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Trump’s election has given business leaders who were never committed to DEI an “easy out,” allowing them to abandon these programs without facing backlash. This marks a shift away from the idea of “stakeholder capitalism,” where companies prioritize social responsibility alongside profit, and towards a more traditional “shareholder capitalism” model.
Zuckerberg’s company, Meta, has benefited from a regulatory environment that allowed it to acquire competitors and dominate the social media landscape. However, this could be threatened by a new administration that may be more skeptical of big tech. Despite his personal feelings about politics, Zuckerberg recognizes that as the head of a major publicly traded company, he must engage with the administration to protect his company’s interests.
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