### Billionaires React to Trump's Election Victory, Musk and Bezos Lead the Charge

Elon Musk, owner of X and the world's richest man, took to his social media platform late Tuesday night to express his sentiments regarding America's future as a nation of builders. Writing from Palm Beach County, where he spent Election Night with Donald Trump, Musk's optimistic post came just hours before the Associated Press declared Trump the winner of the presidential race. "Soon, you will be free to build," Musk asserted, setting the tone for a wave of reactions from conservative billionaires.

Votes showing Trump reclaiming the White House led to celebratory posts from other wealthy conservatives. Tyler Winklevoss, a crypto billionaire, announced a potential "new American Renaissance," while former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy offered explanations for Trump’s resurgence, suggesting that voters were rejecting censorship and dishonesty. Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman criticized media networks for their delay in calling states for Trump, despite many votes still being counted in key battlegrounds like Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada.

By the following day, many high-profile billionaires including Michael Dell and Jeff Bezos took to social media to congratulate Trump. Notably, some former backers of Kamala Harris, such as LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman and businessman Mark Cuban, also extended their congratulations after removing their pro-Harris posts. Bill Gates delivered a more reserved commendation, emphasizing innovation's role in enhancing American lives.

In the wake of Trump’s win, billionaires' engagement on social media was significantly noticeable. Forbes analyzed over 2,000 election-related posts on X from the wealthiest 200 American billionaires, discovering that posts mentioning Trump were generally more positive. This trend may be influenced by Musk's ownership of X and his public support for Trump. As of Wednesday afternoon, no billionaire had posted any explicitly anti-Trump messages, although Mike Bloomberg did share a critical editorial on Bloomberg News.

Significant pro-Trump endorsements came from various influential figures. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who drew attention for stopping The Washington Post's endorsement of Harris, publicly commended Trump after a meeting between Blue Origin executives and the president-elect. Mark Zuckerberg, posting on Threads, a rival to X, also lauded Trump’s victory and expressed eagerness to collaborate with the administration.

On the flip side, negative reactions to Trump's win appeared from Democratic Illinois governor JB Pritzker, venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, and Mark Cuban, although some pro-Harris sentiments were subsequently removed. Bloomberg and Reid Hoffman voiced their disappointment, joining a handful of billionaires expressing concerns about the election outcome.

While most discourse transpired on X, some billionaires chose alternative platforms or different modes of expression. Donald Trump preferred using Truth Social for his posts, while Zuckerberg remained active on Threads. The landscape of wealthy political endorsements showcased diverse methods of influence, from op-eds in owned media to major online platforms.

In the end, X emerged as a potent arena for billionaire discourse, reflecting a sentiment that Musk encapsulated in a midnight post: "You are the media now."