Overview
- ARD’s “Trump und die Tech-Giganten – Das Spiel um Macht,” released January 12, assembles documented donations, meetings and contracts to outline how leading tech figures gained influence under President Trump.
- The film cites multimillion-dollar contributions that helped Trump’s election, Elon Musk’s presence in the White House, Peter Thiel’s backing of Vice President J.D. Vance, and Mark Zuckerberg’s reported $600 billion investment pledge at a Trump-hosted dinner.
- Sociologist Brooke Harrington brands the cohort “Broligarchen,” describes their posture toward Trump as “devout and submissive,” and characterizes the money flows as a “Tech coup” that bought access.
- Experts highlight growing state dependence on private systems, noting Ukraine’s reliance on Musk’s Starlink, while Palantir CEO Alex Karp is quoted expressing a goal of ensuring U.S. military dominance.
- Author Douglas Rushkoff describes an elite worldview that sees humanity as a larval stage and recounts tech leaders seeking guidance on bunker locations, as other analysts say profit and leverage outweigh civic principles.