On Tuesday night, Donald Trump celebrated his election victory at Mar-a-Lago in Florida surrounded by his family, campaign staff, and wealthy backers, including Indonesian billionaire Hary Tanoesoedibjo. Tanoesoedibjo posted a video of Trump shaking hands with supporters at Mar-a-Lago as it became clear that Trump was close to victory. The next day, billionaires from around the world, including India’s Gautam Adani and Canada’s Ryan Cohen, took to social media to congratulate Trump on his victory.
While some billionaires praised Trump’s tenacity and determination, others expressed concerns about the impact of his victory. Richard Branson analyzed the impact of Trump’s victory on the U.S. and the war in Ukraine, highlighting the deep divisions and rifts exposed in American society. Anand Mahindra posted a photo of Trump raising his fist alongside one of a young girl looking up at Kamala Harris, emphasizing the importance of allowing diverse images to coexist in popular imagination.
Some billionaires chose to amplify posts by others rather than writing their own messages. Argentine billionaire Marcos Galperin and British-Cypriot real estate billionaire John Christodoulou shared posts by Elon Musk and Marc Andreessen celebrating Trump’s victory. Shopify founder Tobi Lutke retweeted a joke by Ben Shapiro about liberal voters moving to Canada following the election results.
Fellow billionaires-turned-politicians also weighed in on social media, including Czech billionaire Andrej Babis who congratulated Trump on an “incredible comeback.” Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Ukraine’s former president Petro Poroshenko, both former billionaires, also congratulated Trump on his victory. Poroshenko welcomed Trump back to office in a lengthy post on social media.
Billionaires from various countries such as India’s Uday Kotak and the United Kingdom’s Richard Branson shared their reactions to the election results on social media. While some expressed support for Trump’s victory, others highlighted concerns about the impact on U.S. society and global politics. The reactions from non-U.S. billionaires provide a glimpse into the global interest and implications of Trump’s reelection.
