Meta and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (L) speaks with U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) during the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States.

In one way, Bay Area tech CEOs’ very visible presence at President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday was an almighty flex, a crowning moment for an industry that has remade the economy and society.

Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta engaged in one of its recent core competencies today—outright capitulation—having suddenly decided to settle a lawsuit with Donald Trump that’s been running since 2021 by giving the recently re-elected politician $25 million.