On January 20, Donald Trump took the oath of office for his second term as the 47th President of the United States, with JD Vance sworn in as Vice President. The inauguration ceremony, held at the White House, attracted a star-studded crowd of billionaires and tech moguls, with notable figures like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sundar Pichai making an appearance.
Tech Titans Caught Using Phones During Ceremony
Amid the pomp and circumstance, an intriguing moment from the event quickly captured the attention of social media users. A photograph went viral showing Elon Musk and Sundar Pichai absorbed in their phones during the ceremony, sparking widespread curiosity.
Fans took to social platforms, offering playful theories about the tech giants’ distractions. Some speculated that Musk and Pichai were checking their cryptocurrency portfolios, given Trump’s favorable stance on digital currencies. Others humorously reignited the debate of Google Pixel versus Apple iPhone, while a few joked that Musk might have been scrolling through memes.
The Viral Photo: A Snapshot of Tech Giants’ Phones
In the photo, Sundar Pichai holds a Google Pixel, while Elon Musk is seen engrossed in his iPhone. Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Bezos’ girlfriend, Lauren Sánchez, are also pictured in the frame, looking at the two tech moguls. A post on X (formerly Twitter) humorously captioned the moment: “She’s probably thinking, ‘Can you two please put your phones down for the ceremony?’”
She’s saying, “Can you two please put your phones down for this ceremony?”
Musk keeps on Xing 😉 https://t.co/QEIcZqzZQX— KeoweeGal (@KeoweeSCgal) January 20, 2025
Pichai and Musk Share Their Thoughts
Despite the playful speculation, the tech moguls also shared their congratulations. Sundar Pichai took to X to express his excitement, writing, “Congratulations to @POTUS Donald Trump and @VP JD Vance on your inauguration. We look forward to working with you to usher in a new era of technology + AI innovation that will benefit all Americans.”
Elon Musk, never one to shy away from making a statement, posted a screenshot showing two images: one from 2021 depicting Donald Trump’s suspended Twitter account, and the other showing the recently reinstated POTUS account. Alongside the images, Musk captioned the post, “The return of the king.”
The ceremony marks the start of a new era for the U.S. government, with tech and innovation expected to play a central role under the leadership of Trump and Vance. The presence of tech moguls at the event hints at the significant influence they will likely have in the administration’s approach to technology, AI, and digital currencies.
