- Colombia awaits deported migrants after Trump forces climbdown
- EU's largest far-right bloc to rally in Madrid next week
- Lebanon says Israeli fire kills two as residents try to go home
- PGA Tour's slow pace rears head after pedestrian start to season
- Gatland can revive Wales during Six Nations, says Jones
- Nasdaq slumps on Chinese AI upstart, Nvidia loses some $400 bn in value
- Fighting rages in DRC's Goma after militia, Rwandan troops enter city
- Mitchell's return boosts England ahead of Ireland Six Nations clash
- Rennes sign Kyogo from Celtic, Jota goes other way
- Lawmakers set to confirm Scott Bessent for US Treasury chief
- Tesla, BMW take EU to court over China EV tariffs
- Two Iranian dissidents at 'imminent risk' of execution: activists
- 'A bad dream': Russia marches on Dnipropetrovsk
- Lebanon says Israeli fire kills one as residents try to go home
- Spain's Euro 2024 winning coach De la Fuente extends contract
- Aussie Open champion Sinner won't defend his title in Rotterdam
- India's Bumrah named Test cricketer of the year after sensational 2024
- Brathwaite hails West Indies' long-awaited win in Pakistan
- Stocks slide on Chinese AI threat
- Auchan's Russia unit dismisses sale rumours
- Danish PM says Nordics united as Trump ratchets up Greenland bid
- China's Xi strikes bullish tone in speech to mark Lunar New Year
- Chinese property giant Vanke warns of huge loss, CEO resigns
- Sumo avoids chasm at top with grand master promotion
- DR Congo's Goma close to falling to militia, Rwanda troops: France
- Japan's Fuji TV bosses resign over sex assault scandal
- Palestinians return to north Gaza after breakthrough on hostages
- Taiwan identifies 52 'suspicious' Chinese ships for close monitoring
- Chinese lion dance troupe shrugs off patriarchal past
- Asian stocks drop as tariff fears return, new AI programme emerges
- Japan's Fuji TV bosses resign over sexual assault scandal
- India boosts domestic arms industry and looks West to pare back Russia reliance
- Troubled European carmakers to talk fines and EVs with EU
- Bird feathers and bloodstains found in Jeju jet engines: report
- World marks 80th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation
- West Indies win Test in Pakistan for first time in 35 years
- Palestinians return to north Gaza after breakthrough in hostage diplomacy
- South Korea president's indictment: what happens next?
- Lappartient aims for IOC presidency and world harmony
- Japan's Fuji TV faces heat over sex allegations
- Jennifer Lopez brings 1950s Hollywood 'diva' to Sundance indie fest
- Jennifer Lopez bring 1950s Hollywood 'diva' to Sundance indie fest
- Colombia caves on deportations after Trump threats
- Chiefs beat Bills, seek Super Bowl 'three-peat' against Eagles
- Weak yuan, Trump tariff threats confound Beijing's economic puzzle
- Sinner destined for greatness -- but first comes doping hearing
- Japan's Osaka bans street smoking ahead of Expo 2025
- Mahomes and Chiefs eye historic Super Bowl 'three-peat' after beating Bills
- Asian stocks mixed as tariff fears return, new AI programme emerges
- ECB to cut rates again, with a nervous eye on Trump
With Trump win, Silicon Valley's right flank takes on Washington
One week into his second administration, Donald Trump has put technology at the forefront, featuring tech billionaires prominently at his inauguration and announcing major AI infrastructure deals from the White House.
Looking beyond household names like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos, here are several lesser-known tech figures also wielding significant influence:
- David Sacks -
Sacks, Trump's newly appointed AI and Crypto Czar, is an investor and cryptocurrency advocate who stood beside the president Thursday as he signed an executive order to deregulate that scandal-scarred industry.
Like Musk, Sacks was born in South Africa and belongs to the "PayPal Mafia" -- early internet pioneers who became Silicon Valley power players.
He co-hosts the All-In podcast, popular among conservative tech leaders, and recently co-organized a Trump fundraiser that introduced the president to cryptocurrency.
Sacks is a vocal advocate for deregulation and has already seen the cancellation of an executive order from the administration of Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, that set certain guardrails on AI technologies.
- Peter Thiel -
Thiel, who gave Sacks his start at PayPal and famously fired Musk as CEO of the company, has been a conservative force in Silicon Valley for three decades.
The German-born investor, who spent part of his youth in southern Africa, first showed his right-wing stance at Stanford University before becoming an early Facebook investor and mentor to Zuckerberg.
As a leading conservative intellectual in tech circles, Thiel has long advocated against what he sees as liberal overreach in higher education and government regulation.
He has influenced a generation of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs through his writings and investments.
While less directly involved in Trump's 2024 campaign than in 2016, Thiel's influence continues through his protege, Vice President JD Vance, whom he introduced to Trump.
It also comes through his investments in defense contractors Palantir and Anduril, which are expected to expand their Pentagon footprint.
A political animal, Thiel owns a stately mansion in the US capital Washington, where he threw an inauguration party on the eve of Trump's swearing-in.
The guest list included Meta's Zuckerberg, OpenAI's Sam Altman and Vance.
- Marc Andreessen -
Born and raised in the US Midwest, Andreessen rose to prominence as founder of computer services company Netscape in the 1990s and has become an intense advocate for Trump, even if his support came late.
Despite previously backing Democrats, Andreessen grew frustrated with the Biden administration's strict cryptocurrency regulations and has built an expansive lobbying war chest to reverse them.
During the transition, he regularly visited Mar-a-Lago and helped fill administration positions as what he called an "unpaid intern."
His venture capital firm, Andreessen Horowitz, has backed major tech companies including Twitter (now known as X), AirBnb and Coinbase, and he is one of longest serving members on Meta's board alongside Zuckerberg.
Andreessen, like his peers, is a committed "effective accelerationist" -- part of a Silicon Valley movement that believes any restrictions on technological development, whether from government regulation or social concerns, are fundamentally harmful to human progress.
- Palmer Luckey -
Palmer Luckey, while not directly involved in the White House, carries weight as a self-made tech billionaire who challenged Silicon Valley's liberal bent.
The home-schooled prodigy was just 21 when he sold his virtual reality company Oculus to Facebook for $2 billion in 2014.
His outspoken Trump support made him a misfit at Facebook, which he left in 2017 amid questions over his activities in support of the Republican.
His current venture, Anduril Industries, has emerged as a major player in military technology, developing AI-powered systems including autonomous surveillance towers and drone interceptors.
The company, with Thiel as a major backer, has rapidly expanded its defense contracts and its technology has been deployed in various military applications, from border security to battlefield operations in Ukraine.
A.Taylor--AT