How many billionaires think that they are in charge of the United States government?
GoogleAI Mode: “In 2025, the perception that billionaires are “in charge” of the U.S. government is driven by an unprecedented concentration of ultra-wealthy individuals in top-level positions. The current administration is widely recognized as the wealthiest in American history, featuring at least 13 billionaires in key roles—more than any previous administration.
Billionaires in Governance (2025)
The collective net worth of billionaire appointees in 2025 is estimated at over $460 billion, a figure that exceeds the GDP of more than 170 countries. These individuals occupy positions that directly influence national policy:
Elon Musk (Net Worth ~$417B): Led the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) through May 2025, during which he was given “unprecedented latitude” to transform the federal government and slash spending.
Linda McMahon (Net Worth ~$2.5B): Serves as Secretary of Education.
Doug Burgum (Net Worth ~$1.1B): Serves as Secretary of the Interior.
Howard Lutnick (Net Worth ~$1.5B): Serves as Secretary of Commerce.
Scott Bessent: Serves as Treasury Secretary; though his exact net worth is private, he is widely reported as a billionaire.
Kelly Loeffler (Net Worth ~$1.1B): Heads the Small Business Administration.
Jared Isaacman (Net Worth ~$1.8B): Serves as NASA Administrator.
Stephen Feinberg (Net Worth ~$5B): Holds a top leadership role at the Pentagon.
Influence Beyond Cabinet Roles
Beyond direct appointments, billionaires have influenced government operations through outside advisory groups and campaign finance:
Campaign Influence: In the 2024 cycle leading into this administration, 150 billionaire families spent approximately $1.9 billion on candidates.
DOGE Operations: While Musk stepped away from day-to-day government work in May 2025, he embedded dozens of his private sector staff from companies like Tesla and SpaceX into federal agencies, where they continue to oversee government IT and systems.
Public Perception
The visible role of billionaires in 2025 has led to a measurable shift in public sentiment. As of late 2025, 53% of Americans believe that billionaires pose a threat to democracy, and 70% want the ultra-wealthy to play a smaller role in U.S. politics. Critics describe the 2025 government as a “plutocracy” (rule by the rich) or “oligarchy,” noting that decisions on healthcare, education, and social safety nets are now primarily made by those with extreme personal wealth.”
Considering wealth and taxes, is the United States headed to favoring the few wealthy over the masses?
GoogleAI Mode: “In 2025, the U.S. tax landscape and wealth distribution show a distinct shift toward policies that critics argue favor ultra-wealthy individuals and large corporations over the general population.
While proponents of these measures claim they spur economic growth, data from 2025 highlights a growing concentration of wealth at the top and an increasing tax burden on middle-income households.
Legislative and Policy Shifts
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act (OBBBA): Signed on July 4, 2025, this law made permanent many of the tax cuts originally set to expire. Analysis shows that while middle-income earners received modest standard deduction increases, the vast majority of net benefits go to the wealthiest 20%, with the top 1% receiving average net cuts of $66,000.
Corporate Tax Cuts: The current administration pushed to further reduce corporate tax rates, potentially as low as 18%. Critics note that such cuts primarily benefit shareholders and executives, with 90% of workers in benefiting companies seeing no income increase.
Tariff Offsets: New tariffs implemented in 2025 have offset tax savings for many lower- and middle-income families by raising the cost of essential goods. One report estimates that by 2027, every income group except the top 1% will see a net decrease in after-tax income relative to 2025 levels.
Wealth Concentration in 2025
Rise of the Oligarchy: Reports in late 2025 describe an “American oligarchy” where the 10 richest billionaires became $698 billion wealthier in a single year. The arrival of the world’s first trillionaire is considered imminent.
Wage Gap Widening: While 2021–2023 saw a “Great Compression” where low-wage growth outpaced high-wage growth, that trend has reversed. In 2025, high-income earners with stock portfolios are seeing gains while low-income wage growth has stalled.
State-Level Cuts: Several states, including Ohio, Missouri, and Oklahoma, enacted their largest personal income tax cuts for millionaires in 2025.
Public and Critical Perspective
Public Opinion: 2025 polling shows 82% of Americans favor closing tax loopholes for corporations with over $1 billion in profit.
“Project 2025” Concerns: Critics frequently cite the “Project 2025” playbook, which advocates for a two-bracket system and consumption taxes that would shift thousands of dollars in tax burden from the wealthy to the typical family of four.
Defense of Billionaires: Supporters of these policies argue that protecting the wealth of individuals like Elon Musk is necessary to allow for high-risk, high-reward investments in sectors like space and robotics that might otherwise fail under higher tax burdens.”
Essentially, 13 people have more say over our government than millions of Americans?
GoogleAI Mode: “It is a widely debated point in 2025, but the argument that a small number of ultra-wealthy individuals have more influence than millions of average Americans is supported by the unprecedented alignment of financial power and direct government control.
Here is how that dynamic plays out:
Disproportionate Influence
Financial Leverage: The U.S. political system is structured such that a tiny fraction of the population holds extraordinary sway. Political scientists note that the top one-four-hundredth of 1% of Americans have a substantial influence over which politicians succeed due to massive campaign donations. In the 2024 election cycle, just 100 billionaire donors poured a record $2.6 billion into elections, making up nearly 20% of total spending.
Direct Policy Access: The appointment of at least 13 billionaires to top administration posts grants them direct, daily access to the mechanisms of power. This contrasts sharply with the indirect influence of millions of citizens who rely primarily on voting, occasional lobbying, and public commentary to make their voices heard.
Empirical Research: Academic research has consistently found that the policy preferences of the wealthiest individuals often become law, while policies favored by average citizens have little to no independent influence on actual government outcomes.
Conflicting Interests
The policies enacted in 2025 demonstrate a pattern that prioritizes the economic elite:
Taxation: The “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act passed in July 2025 primarily benefits the wealthiest 20%, with the top 1% receiving the largest net cuts, while lower-income families face increased costs from tariffs.
Regulatory Environment: The administration’s focus on deregulation and “efficiency” (through the DOGE program) has benefited the companies run by the billionaire appointees, leading to concerns about conflicts of interest and a lack of accountability.
Public Reaction
This perceived imbalance has not gone unnoticed by the public:
Majority Concern: Polls in late 2025 show that 70% of Americans want the ultra-wealthy to have less influence in politics, and 53% believe that the concentration of wealth is a threat to democracy.
In essence, while millions of Americans still have a voice through the electoral process, the structure of the 2025 government and campaign finance laws has created a system where a small group of extremely wealthy individuals can more directly shape policy to serve their interests.”
Essentially, 13 people have more say over our government than millions of Americans? Yes or No.
GoogleAI Mode: “In 2025, the question of whether a small group of billionaires holds more sway than millions of citizens is a subject of intense national debate, centered on the unprecedented concentration of private wealth within the highest levels of government.
While the answer is a matter of perspective, current data and events provide strong arguments for both sides:
Arguments for “Yes”
Direct Governance: For the first time in history, the 2025 administration includes at least 13 billionaires in senior roles. This includes Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), gaining direct access to federal data systems and the authority to overhaul government operations.
Policy Control: Appointees like Scott Bessent (Treasury), Howard Lutnick (Commerce), and Doug Burgum (Interior) oversee critical economic and environmental policies. Critics argue these individuals can prioritize corporate and personal interests—such as further corporate tax cuts—over the needs of the working class.
Infrastructure Access: The installation of Starlink at the White House by Musk’s DOGE team, bypassing standard security protocols, is cited as a prime example of billionaires operating with “unprecedented latitude” outside traditional democratic oversight.
Arguments for “No”
Electoral Legitimacy: Supporters of the 2025 administration argue that these individuals were chosen by a democratically elected president to fulfill a mandate for radical government reform.
Democratic Checks: The Senate still holds the power to confirm or reject Cabinet nominees, and the judiciary has already ruled against some of the more aggressive DOGE-led layoffs as executive overreach.
Public Accountability: Citizens continue to influence the government through voting, protests, and the 2026 midterm cycle. In 2025, 62% of Americans believe the federal government has “too much power,” suggesting a high level of public scrutiny and a potential correction in future elections.
Summary of 2025 Billionaire Cabinet Members
The combined net worth of these individuals is estimated at over $344 billion, more than 3,000 times the net worth of President Biden’s 2024 Cabinet.
Person
Elon Musk
Net Worth
~$333B+
2025 Role
Co-Director, DOGE
Person
Stephen Feinberg
Net Worth
~$5B
2025 Role
Deputy Secretary of Defense
Person
Howard Lutnick
Net Worth
~$2B–$3B
2025 Role
Secretary of Commerce
Person
Linda McMahon
Net Worth
$2.6B
2025 Role
Secretary of Education
Person
Jared Isaacman
Net Worth
~$1.8B–$1.9B
2025 Role
NASA Administrator
Person
Vivek Ramaswamy
Net Worth
~$1B
2025 Role
2026 Governor Candidate
Person
Doug Burgum
Net Worth
~$1.1B
2025 Role
Secretary of the Interior
Person
Scott Bessent
Net Worth
~$1B
2025 Role
Secretary of the Treasury.”
How does the Republican Trifecta benefit the billionaires who think that they are in charge of the government over the voters?
GoogleAI Mode: “In 2025, the Republican trifecta—control of the White House, Senate, and House—has facilitated a policy agenda that critics and nonpartisan analyses describe as a major wealth transfer favoring billionaires and large corporations.
Key mechanisms through which the 2025 trifecta benefits the wealthy over the general voting population include:
Tax Legislation (The “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act): Signed in July 2025, this law made permanent many corporate tax cuts and high-income breaks. While the administration claims it helps workers, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and other analyses found that the top 20% of earners receive roughly 60% of the benefits.
Windfalls for the Ultra-Rich: The top 1% of earners receive tax cuts averaging roughly $61,000 to $66,000 annually, while the bottom 20% may see their income decrease by nearly 3% due to related cuts in social programs.
Corporate Handouts: The bill pushed to lower the corporate tax rate further toward 18%, providing a projected $24 billion combined tax cut for the Fortune 100.
Targeted Cuts to Social Safety Nets: To offset the cost of tax cuts, the trifecta has pursued deep reductions in programs that millions of Americans rely on.
Health and Nutrition: Cuts totaling $9.8 trillion were proposed for mandatory spending, primarily targeting Medicaid, SNAP (food stamps), and veterans’ healthcare.
Public Services: Non-defense discretionary programs, including environmental and consumer protection, faced a 41% reduction in funding.
Billionaire Governance (DOGE and Cabinet): The trifecta enabled the appointment of a “billionaire cabinet,” the wealthiest in U.S. history.
Unprecedented Access: Leaders like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy were granted authority through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to bypass traditional civil service protections, leading to mass federal layoffs and the installation of private-sector staff within government agencies.
Conflicts of Interest: Critics point out that these billionaires now oversee the very regulatory agencies (e.g., NASA, Commerce, Treasury) that govern their private businesses, allowing them to shape policy and “deregulate” their own industries.
Tariff Trade-Offs: The administration’s aggressive tariff policies in 2025 have offset modest tax savings for middle- and lower-income families by increasing the cost of daily goods. Nonpartisan reports indicate that when accounting for rising consumer costs, the net benefits of the 2025 tax agenda disappear for everyone except the wealthiest 10% of Americans.”
On a scale of 1 to 5, what is the likelihood that general America is aware that the government is controlled by a few ultra-wealthy people?
GoogleAI Mode: “Based on recent 2025 polling data, the likelihood that the general American public is aware of—or at least believes—that the government is controlled by a few ultra-wealthy individuals is high.
Likelihood Rating: 4 out of 5
This rating reflects that while a substantial majority of Americans believe the system is dominated by wealthy interests, views vary slightly by political affiliation and the specific terminology used (e.g., “oligarchy” vs. “special interests”).
Key Statistical Evidence (2025 Data)
Belief in Oligarchy: A 2025 survey found that 48% of likely voters believe the U.S. is becoming an “oligarchy,” with majorities of both Democrats (67%) and Independents (61%) supporting this view.
Perception of Billionaires: As of late 2025, 53% of Americans believe billionaires pose a threat to American democracy, a significant increase from previous years.
Government Corruption: Approximately 67% of Americans—two-thirds of the population—view the federal government as “corrupt” as of 2025.
Influence of Wealthy Donors: Historically, and continuing into current sentiment, about 80% of both Republicans and Democrats agree that people who donate large sums of money to campaigns have “too much influence” over congressional decisions.
Trust in Government: Public trust remains near historic lows, with only 33% of Americans saying they trust the federal government to do what is right.
Contextual Factors
Partisan Shifts: Awareness and concern often fluctuate based on which party is in power. For example, trust in government increased among Republicans under age 50 following the 2024 election, though overall distrust in the “system” remains high across the board.
Economic Anxiety: Negative ratings of national economic conditions (only 23% calling them “excellent or good”) often fuel the perception that the government prioritizes the wealthy over ordinary citizens.
Campaign Finance: Public awareness is frequently tied to the visibility of high-profile billionaires in politics, such as the roles of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos in recent administrations.”
Jeff Bezos is running the government along with the other 13 billionaires?
GoogleAI Mode: “While Jeff Bezos does not have an official government title in the current 2025 administration, he is part of a prominent group of billionaires with significant influence through government contracts, informal advisory roles, and financial support.
As of late 2025, the relationship between billionaires and the federal government is marked by several key developments:
- Jeff Bezos’ Current Role and Influence
No Official Title: Unlike Elon Musk, Bezos holds no formal government position.
Informal Advisor: Bezos has publicly expressed “super optimism” regarding the current administration’s deregulation agenda and stated he would help the president achieve those goals.
Major Contractor: His companies, Amazon and Blue Origin, hold billions in federal contracts. In April 2025, Blue Origin secured a $2.4 billion contract from the U.S. Space Force. Amazon also provided up to $1 billion in credits to the administration for cloud services through 2028.
Political Aligning: Bezos shifted the editorial direction of The Washington Post in early 2025 to focus strictly on “personal liberties and free markets,” a move widely seen as aligning with the current administration’s platform.
- The “13 Billionaires” in Government
The current administration is the wealthiest in U.S. history, featuring roughly 12 to 13 billionaires in official or highly influential roles:
Elon Musk: Formerly co-led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) before resigning in late May 2025 following public disagreements with the president, though he remains a key figure in the president’s orbit.
Linda McMahon: Serves as the Education Secretary (Net worth: ~$3 billion).
Howard Lutnick: Serves as Commerce Secretary (Net worth: ~$3.2 billion).
Scott Bessent: Serves as Treasury Secretary (Reported billionaire).
Jared Isaacman: Leads NASA (Net worth: ~$1.8 billion).
Doug Burgum: Serves as Interior Secretary (Net worth: ~$1.1 billion).
Tilman Fertitta: Appointed Ambassador to Italy and San Marino (Net worth: ~$11.3 billion).
Warren Stephens: Appointed Ambassador to Britain (Net worth: ~$3.4 billion).
Joe Gebbia: Serving as Chief Design Officer, a newly created role (Net worth: ~$8.3 billion).
- Public Perception and “Open Oligarchy”
The overt presence of billionaires at the 2025 inauguration—where Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg were seated prominently—led many political analysts to describe the current state of the U.S. as an “open oligarchy”. While these individuals do not literally “run” every aspect of the government, their control over key agencies (Commerce, Treasury, NASA, Education) and their role in funding massive government projects like the new White House ballroom give them unprecedented leverage over national policy.”
Who funded the new White House ballroom?
GoogleAI Mode: “The new White House ballroom is being funded by private donations from a wide array of individuals and corporations, including many billionaires and major companies. President Trump has stated that the project is not using taxpayer money and that he would contribute some of his own funds as well.
Donations are made through the non-profit Trust for the National Mall, which supports the National Park Service in the project.
Key Donors
In October 2025, the White House released a list of over 30 donors. Major contributors include:
Technology Giants: Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Meta Platforms. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, donated $22 million towards the ballroom as part of a settlement related to a lawsuit filed by Trump over his removal from YouTube.
Defense Contractors: Companies such as Lockheed Martin and Booz Allen Hamilton have made donations.
Cryptocurrency Companies & Investors: Coinbase, Ripple, Tether America, and the co-founders of Gemini, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, are donors.
Billionaire Individuals and Family Foundations: This includes:
The Lutnick Family (Howard Lutnick is the current Commerce Secretary).
Miriam Adelson (through the Adelson Family Foundation), a major Republican megadonor.
Harold Hamm, an oil tycoon.
Stephen A. Schwarzman, CEO of Blackstone.
Kelly Loeffler (head of the Small Business Administration) and her husband Jeff Sprecher.
Edward and Shari Glazer, owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL team.
The exact amount of each individual donation has not been publicly disclosed, although the total project cost is estimated at around $300 million.”
What does Zuckerberg have to do with Bezos and the 13 billionaires in charge?
GoogleAI Mode: “In 2025, Mark Zuckerberg has transitioned from a critic of Donald Trump to a key figure in what many political analysts have termed a new “tech oligarchy”. While he does not hold an official government post, he maintains influence through a series of strategic alignments and high-level access.
Zuckerberg’s Connection to the 2025 Administration
Symbolic Power at the Inauguration: Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, were given VIP seats at the 2025 inauguration, seated directly behind the President’s family and alongside Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk. These seats were notably better than those of most cabinet members and governors.
Financial Support: Meta was one of the first major corporations to donate $1 million to the Trump inaugural fund.
Active Advisory Intent: Zuckerberg has expressed a strong desire to play an “active role” in the administration’s technology and AI policymaking to ensure U.S. leadership in the sector.
Infrastructure Investment: During a 2025 White House dinner, Zuckerberg pledged that Meta would invest $600 billion in U.S. infrastructure and AI through 2028.
Strategic Policy Shifts (“The MAGA Makeover”)
To align with the administration, Zuckerberg has implemented several major internal changes at Meta in 2025:
Content Moderation: Meta relaxed restrictions on several topics previously criticized by conservatives, such as immigration and gender.
Fact-Checking: He moved to scrap partnerships with third-party fact-checkers, replacing them with a system similar to X’s “Community Notes”.
Corporate Culture: Zuckerberg eliminated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) teams and banned certain internal workplace discussions to “adjust” to the current regulatory landscape.
Leadership Changes: He promoted Republican insider Joel Kaplan to head Meta’s global policy, replacing the more liberal-leaning Nick Clegg.
Relationship with Other Billionaires
Zuckerberg is often grouped with Musk and Bezos as the “trio” of tech titans who have largely set aside past differences with Trump to gain favorable regulatory environments.
Musk: While Musk took a more direct government role, Zuckerberg has focused on aligning Meta’s massive platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Threads) with the administration’s “pro-tech” and “pro-speech” values.
Bezos: Both billionaires have reportedly made multiple visits to Mar-a-Lago and the White House in 2025 to discuss economic and tech initiatives.”
World Peace 
Leave a comment