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In a surprising turn of events, leading tech figures including Elon Musk and several prominent Silicon Valley investors celebrated in unison at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate following his victorious election campaign. Headlining the celebration was Musk, the CEO of Tesla, who was flanked by venture capitalists and startup investors who have long supported the former President’s vision for a deregulated, pro-business administration.

Among the key celebrants were notable names such as Marc Andreessen, Joe Lonsdale, Palmer Luckey, and executives from Peter Thiel’s venture fund. These individuals have consistently advocated for a more "anti-woke," minimal regulation approach, which they believe will greatly benefit the tech sector. Palmer Luckey, notable for founding both Anduril and Oculus, expressed his delight by sharing a celebratory tweet featuring a scene from the Pokémon TV show.

The celebration was not just political but deeply personal for many of these tech leaders, who share close-knit relationships with high-ranking political figures. As Lonsdale, a co-founder of Palantir and close friend of vice-president-elect JD Vance, had previously remarked, his vision of government is one powered by the brightest minds in technology.

The collaborative efforts spearheaded by Musk, Thiel, and Sacks, also a former COO of PayPal, demonstrate a sustained pooling of resources and time aimed at advancing their shared libertarian ideals within the Republican Party. According to Rob Lalka, a business professor at Tulane University, this influence has been decades in the making and marks a significant shift away from traditional conservatism.

The rewards for Musk’s allegiance to Trump are expected to be substantial. Trump has indicated plans to appoint Musk as the head of a government efficiency commission, a role dubbed the "secretary of cost-cutting," tasked with slashing government spending and transitioning government workers to private sector roles. Musk proposed a comprehensive review of all government agencies and suggested offering government workers two years of pay to transition into private sector jobs, emphasizing the production of more useful goods and services.

Concurrently, tech investors are looking forward to potential changes in the Federal Trade Commission's leadership, particularly anticipating the end of Lina Khan’s tenure. Khan has been known for her rigorous antitrust investigations into tech giants like Google, Amazon, Meta, and Apple. Reuters reported that Trump plans to adopt a more lenient stance on big tech's antitrust cases, particularly in favor of Google.

However, not all tech industry executives are convinced of the advantages of a Trump-led administration. Parker Conrad, the CEO of payroll software company Rippling, voiced his skepticism in an interview with the Newcomer newsletter, arguing that many industry leaders wrongly believe Trump will cater to their specific agendas.

Besides the national focus, Silicon Valley investors were also heavily invested in local politics, particularly in San Francisco. Groups like GrowSF celebrated the promising results for their supported mayoral candidate, Daniel Lurie, while other initiatives faced setbacks. For instance, Proposition D, aimed at cutting the number of San Francisco commissions and giving the mayor more authority, appeared headed for defeat despite becoming the most expensive ballot measure in the city's history with nearly $9.4 million in contributions.