Trump 2.0: Shaping 13 Key Figures in America's Future

Source: Forbes

Last week, Donald Trump gave a victory speech, thanking those who helped him achieve an amazing political comeback. Suddenly, the cheers from the crowd interrupted his speech.

“Elon! Elon! Elon!”

“Oh, yes. We have a new star. A new star is born: he is Elon,” Trump said excitedly, followed by a four-minute fancy praise to the world’s richest man, promising to give this “super genius” a powerful influence on US policy and federal spending.

Donald Trump, who is preparing to return to the White House, is working to create a new alliance, with Elon Musk being one of the most famous (and wealthiest) new allies. The 78-year-old Trump has always valued close alliances with billionaires and celebrities, but this time, he will organize a new generation of loyal supporters, including podcast host Joe Rogan and MMA celebrity Dana White.

The 2.0 version of this supporter’s small team has won Trump’s favor through expressing loyalty, donating to the campaign, publicly supporting, and of course, flattery. Some of them are expected to become cabinet members, while others may serve as unofficial advisors, communicating with Trump through phone calls, golf activities, podcasts, and social media.

In addition to Musk, Trump’s new allies include Hedging fund tycoons John Paulson and Scott Bessent, both of whom are competitors for the position of Treasury Secretary or other important economic positions, and both have vowed to help Musk cut costs. "Bessent, who worked for Trump’s archenemy George Soros for many years, said in an interview with Forbes the day before the election, “I am willing to participate, whether in the foreground or behind the scenes.”

The other two potential cabinet members or senior advisors are Vivek Ramaswamy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., representing a political Newbie who wants to completely reform federal institutions. Kennedy plans to push for the removal of fluoride from drinking water and to “clean up corruption” in agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Ramaswamy briefly participated in the campaign and once envisioned shutting down the entire Department of Education.

Among the rising tech stars in the Trump universe are Marc Andreessen and Jeff Yass. Silicon Valley venture capitalist Andreessen has always been a Democrat, but he sided with Trump’s tech policies and was invited to Trump’s estate on election night. TikTok shareholder Yass seemed to convince Trump earlier this year to no longer threaten to ban the social media platform, and Trump later joined the platform as well.

Trump is likely to continue to consult with some of the people he has been consulting, starting with his family. Although his daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner have said they will not serve as presidential advisers again, Kushner told Forbes last week that he may still advise Trump in an informal capacity. Eric Trump’s wife Lara is the co-chair of the Republican National Committee and played a leading role in this campaign, standing by his side as he delivered his victory speech.

Also not to be forgotten are the group of billionaires who have long supported him, including Wall Street legend Carl Icahn, who also resides in Florida, Trump’s business partner Phil Ruffin in Las Vegas, and former Marvel chairman Ike Perlmutter. Perlmutter, a member of Mar-a-Lago, donated $10.1 million to a super PAC supporting Trump in this election cycle. Trump informally sought their opinions on various issues during his first term, and they all sought economic benefits through their relationship with the president.

In the coming weeks, you will see a lot of competition and flattery. Who will win coveted cabinet appointments or other positions? A highly followed power play is about to unfold. If the previous situation is any indication, even those who have infiltrated the inner circle should be vigilant and cautious. Just ask Anthony Scaramucci, a senior figure at Goldman Sachs. He entered the White House on July 21, 2017, as the communications director, but was fired after only 10 days.

Trump’s New Think Tank

01 埃隆·马斯克（Elon Musk）

Image Source: Nathan Laine/Bloomberg

He was once a supporter of Barack Obama, but has now transformed into a stalwart force of MAGA. The 53-year-old Musk is the CEO of TSL and the founder of SpaceX. Initially, he supported Ron DeSantis in the Republican primary, but later fully backed Trump. He donated $119 million to a political action committee supporting Trump, organized voter mobilization activities in swing states, and tirelessly promoted Trump’s campaign on his own social media platform, X.

Trump once publicly praised Musk as a “genius” and promised to give him great power to regulate the federal budget. (Musk is the richest person on Earth, and he said he wants to cut $20 trillion in federal spending each year). The relationship between the two became extremely close, and the day after the election, a family photo of Trump appeared online, with Musk even in the picture.

02 Howard Lutnick

Image source: Hollie Adams/Bloomberg

Lutnick is the CEO and majority shareholder of the financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald, which has an annual revenue of $9 billion. At the age of 63, Lutnick has a close relationship with Trump and served as co-chair of Trump’s MAGA political action committee. He donated $5 million to Trump’s MAGA political action committee and accompanied Trump to campaign events. In October, he introduced Elon Musk at a rally at Madison Square Garden. Lutnick first gained prominence after the “911” attacks, during which 658 Cantor Fitzgerald employees, including Lutnick’s brother, were killed in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. Lutnick was taking his son to his first day of kindergarten that day. He later pledged to rebuild the company and take care of the families of the deceased employees, raising $180 million for them in the first five years.

As co-chair of the Trump transition team, Lewandowski pledged to select personnel who are “loyal” to the boss to form the second Trump administration.

03 John Paulson

Image source: Rob Kim/Getty Images

Hedging fund tycoon Paulson, like Trump, was born in Queens. He made a fortune of $3.8 billion in 2007 by shorting subprime mortgages and sold the Doral Resort in Miami to Trump in 2012. The 68-year-old billionaire has only donated $8 million to Trump’s campaign in this cycle, but has become an influential economic adviser to Trump and is reportedly a top candidate for Treasury Secretary.

Paulson said he hopes to continue the tax cuts implemented by Trump in 2017 and collaborate with Musk to reduce federal spending, including cancelling the renewable energy subsidies in the inflation reduction bill signed by Biden.

04 Linda McMahon

Image Source: Andrew Harre/Bloomberg

This 76-year-old business tycoon is another co-chair of the Trump transition team. She served as the head of the Small Business Administration in Trump’s first term and donated $15.8 million to Trump’s campaign this year. She is a co-founder of the think tank America First Policy Institute and may have a greater influence in Trump’s second term in this role. The think tank is also an alternative to the ‘2025 Plan’, having prepared nearly 300 draft executive orders for Trump to consider and sign.

McMahon previously helped fellow Trump ally and billionaire husband Vince McMahon run the wrestling promotion giant World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The company, founded by Vince, was once one of the biggest contributors to the now-defunct Trump Foundation. (Reportedly, Vince is under federal investigation for alleged sex trafficking, which he has denied.)

05 Dana White

Image source: Michael Simon/Getty Images

The President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has chosen to support Trump in all three presidential elections. Their relationship remained traceability to Trump’s entry into politics. At that time, Trump was a fan of the White event and even held mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions in his own industry. Several months after the Capitol Hill riot on January 6, 2021, Trump remained an unpopular figure, but White warmly welcomed him at a UFC event in June of the same year, marking one of his earliest public appearances after leaving office.

In the early hours of November 6th, Trump invited White to speak during his victory speech. White passionately said, ‘No one deserves this victory more than him.’ Some MAGA supporters are calling for White to be appointed as Trump’s new press secretary, but White stated that he has ‘no political ambitions.’

06 Scott Bessent

Image source: Vincent Alban/Bloomberg

This polite Hedging fund executive, who used to work for liberal philanthropist George Soros, declared his support for Trump early in the Republican primaries this year and donated $3 million to Trump’s political action committee and the Republican committee, earning himself a place in the MAGA camp.

As an important economic advisor, he has become a possible candidate for a cabinet position. Bersant advocates cutting federal spending and reforming the Fed, weakening the power of its chairman. On the day before the election, he told Forbes, “We are going to see a major international economic restructuring.” He also confirmed his interest in serving in the Trump administration: “I am willing to be involved, whether in the front or behind the scenes.”

07 Vivek Ramaswamy

Image Source: DIA Dipasupil/Getty Images

The 39-year-old biotech billionaire, who was a pro-Trump alternative in the Republican primaries but quickly dropped out, became an extremely active Trump surrogate during the general election. The Indian-American entrepreneur is the author of the best-selling book ‘Woke, Inc.’ and earlier this year acquired a significant stake in the media company Buzzfeed. He advocates for the closure of federal government agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Education. The millennial entrepreneur is reportedly being considered for a cabinet position.

On October 9th, Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania: ‘We will bring him in, and he will be involved in some very important actions.’

08 Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Image source: Jason Mendez/Getty Images

In August, the descendant of the Kennedy political dynasty suspended his campaign as an independent candidate and instead supported Trump. This former Democrat and environmental lawyer attracted a large following with his stance questioning vaccines. He advocated for the closure of certain departments of the FDA and the removal of fluoride from drinking water. He said Trump would put him in charge of overseeing public health agencies, including the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services. ‘He will make America healthy again,’ Trump said in his victory speech. ‘Go ahead and do a good job, Bobby.’

09 Marc Andreessen

Image Source: Taylor Hill/Getty Images

This Silicon Valley venture capitalist, worth about $1.9 billion, publicly supported Trump in July and donated $2.5 million to support his campaign. Anderson has always been a Democrat, but in a podcast interview with his investment partner Ben Horowitz, he explained his political shift. Horowitz initially supported Trump as well, but changed his position in early October and donated to Harris.

Anderson said he turned to Trump because of the Biden administration’s hostile attitude towards the technology industry, including their hostility towards Crypto Assets and mergers and acquisitions, both of which are important parts of Anderson-Horowitz’s investment portfolio and important pillars of the venture capital industry. On election night, this internet industry entrepreneur is estimated to be a guest at the Mar-a-Lago dinner.

10 Timothy Mellon

In Trump’s 2024 campaign, the heir to Mellon Bank’s fortune made the largest single donation, contributing $150 million to Trump’s MAGA Super Political Action Committee, even more than Musk. He also donated $25 million to him before little Kennedy withdrew. Mellon’s policy goals are still unclear, but in his career as a railroad company boss, he has engaged in fierce battles with unions and donated to conservative organizations such as the Heritage Foundation.

The 81-year-old hermit billionaire who lives on a farm in Wyoming has not been seen in public for many years. Despite the huge amount of donations, he insists he is not as wealthy as he looks. Earlier this year, the grandson of American banking tycoon Andrew Mellon (US Treasury Secretary in the 1920s) wrote in an email to Forbes, “I’m not a billionaire!”

11 Joe Rogan

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A former stand-up comedian and UFC commentator, Rogan is now a podcast host. He had a three-hour interview with Trump 10 days before the election and publicly supported Trump on the eve of the election. In Trump’s victory speech, Dana White, who is also Trump’s “fanhead”, expressed his gratitude to the “incomparably powerful Joe Rogan”. Logan’s podcast show, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” has more than 18 million subscribers and has reached 5.6 billion views on YouTube. Trump boasted to the audience when he announced that he had Logan’s support: “He’s definitely the best in that field.” ”

12 Jeffrey Yass

Image source: SIG

Yas, the co-founder of the market-making giant Susquehanna, has long been a donor to the Republican Party’s Large Investors and is also one of the world’s richest 30 people, with an estimated net worth of $50 billion, including $21.5 billion in equity in TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance. Yas is a libertarian who has supported candidates such as Tim Scott and Vivek Ramaswamy during the Republican primaries. It was reported that earlier this year, he met with Trump and instructed advisers to lobby the Trump team to support TikTok, as Trump had tried to ban the app during his previous term. Earlier this year, Trump publicly opposed Congress’s ban on TikTok and joined the platform in June, currently boasting 14 million followers.

13 Doug Burgum

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The businessman and former North Dakota governor, who briefly ran for president and was also on Trump’s list of vice presidential candidates, may now become a candidate for energy secretary in the Trump administration. One reason Trump is fond of Burgum is that he comes from the business world, starting a software company from scratch and later selling it to Microsoft before entering politics after serving as a Microsoft executive for many years. Forbes estimates Burgum’s personal wealth at over $100 million.