Elon Musk learned the hard way that Donald Trump is beyond control—or even the illusion of it. In Captain America: Brave New World, Harrison Ford plays a President who becomes the Red Hulk—transforming into something so powerful, so uncontrollable, that not even his own office can contain him.In 2025, Silicon Valley’s elite are learning they backed their own version of the Red Hulk. Elon Musk learned it the hard way. A SpaceX rocket, after all, can be stabilised. It might blow up mid-flight, but it obeys the rules of physics. Donald Trump, by contrast, is pure political radiation—volatile, vengeful, and far more combustible. One moment, Musk was onstage at CPAC with a chainsaw. Weeks later, he was disillusioned, publicly exiting Trump’s orbit.
Before the opening, friends included Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, and Mark Zuckerberg.
Musk believed he was “optimise” Washington like one of his turbulent companies. Trump gave it a shot. He even gave him the title of DOGE’s chief of the Department of Government Efficiency ( DOGE ). However, architecture doesn’t have a political impact. It has a power supply. Trump also wields energy, much like Ross in Brave New World. He turns into it. Not just did Mussk believe he could hold on to the truth about Trump. Bezos attempted to relax. Cook made an attempt at politics. Zuckerberg attempted to comfort. They all thought they were in the place where it occurred. But by the middle of 2025, it was terribly obvious that Trump had no control over his actions. He represents the transition. No one else, not even the tech bro who assisted in getting him up, is immune.
I. Elon Musk: From Chainsaw Hero to Sidelined Billionaire
In February of this year, Musk stormed CPAC while sporting a dark axe that was given to him by Argentina’s liberal leader, Javier Milei. He theatrically cut through government waste onstage and said,” It’s crazy how easy it is to save billions in an hour.” Trump had appointed him to the position of head of the Department of Government Efficiency ( DOGE ), a specialized post for reducing federal spending. Muss promised to cut$ 1 trillion in taxes and give$ 100 million to Trump’s political system. However, the rocket man quickly realized that the lake is vicious. The empire was in trouble by May. Musso informed The New York Times, not the Pentagon, that he was about to be given a defined China briefing after protesting Trump’s huge tax-and-spend bill and protesting a lucrative AI deal with OpenAI in Abu Dhabi. Trump did not find humor in himself. Musk’s people return from DOGE followed a few days later. He made his exit announcement on X before telling Trump. The billionaire opined” harmful bureaucracy,” wasted effort, and reputation damage. He re-enter SpaceX, posting start movies and sporting an” Occupy Mars” t-shirt. The message is that even the richest man on earth doesn’t navigate Trump for very long.
II. From the era of the tariffs to the era of Jeff Bezos
Bezos attempted subtle. The Washington Post reverted to its traditional liberal voice. Amazon gave$ 1 million to Trump’s opening. Before the swearing-in, the creator also had a one-on-one conversation with Trump. However, the problem outlines were exposed in April 2025. Reports surfaced suggesting that Amazon does disclose tariffs to customers instantly. Trump called Bezos to file a complaint. The concept was described as” a hostile and political act” by the White House. Amazon reacted in kind. Trump praised Bezos in public, but for the moment. However, Amazon continues to be a victim of the FTC’s competitive crusade. Trump continues to criticize Amazon’s internet shoulder, labor methods, and dominance. The break was momentary. The risk of regulation is no. Early on, Bezos learned from Musk: Time is spent buying hotel, no loyalty.
III. Tim Cook: Between a Price and a Hard Place
Tim Cook of Apple has long straddled the line between America First bluster and totalitarian expediency. Perhaps his balancing act fell apart in May 2025, though. Just days after a private meeting with Cook, Trump announced a 25 % tariff on all imported iPhones. Apple’s property dropped. Cook remained motionless. Trump boasted behind closed doors that” I told [Cook ] long ago that I expect their iPhones to be manufactured in the United States.” Trump is aware that moving generation to the US is not economically feasible. In addition, the DOJ’s competitive lawsuit against Apple’s App Store, which was brought under Biden, is still active under Trump. His Court officers have resisted reversing their positions. Cook’s fate demonstrates how hard power operates: you didn’t MAGA your way out of tests or tariffs.
IV. Mark Zuckerberg: Appeasement and Antitrust
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Programs
A complete tilt was attempted by Zuckerberg. He:
- Trump referred to his 2024 shooting answer as “badass.”
- In January, Axed Meta released its US fact-checking and La plans.
- donated$ 1 million to Trump’s inauguration.
- met the president at Mar-a-Lago.
None of it succeeded. The Trump-led FTC filed an antitrust lawsuit in April 2025 that might end up destroying WhatsApp and Instagram. Take the stand, Zuckerberg. Trump made no remarks. Dissention is growing inside Meta. Professionals are unsatisfied. Buyers are uncomfortable. Additionally, the authorities are not helpful. Catering doesn’t guard against trial, according to Zuck’s wake-up call.
V. Why Do the Tech Bros Keep Faltering?
1. Trump’s loyalty to himself is limited to contextual relationships. You are disposable when your significance ends or you challenge the narrative. Musk criticized the funds. Bezos experimented with clarity of tariffs. Cook became also at home with India. Despite his best efforts, Zuckerberg was unable to satisfy anyone. 2. Plan Immunity and Policy Alignment Trump won’t protect you from competitive, tariffs, or governmental pain. DOGE did not stand up for Musk. Bezos or Zuckerberg were not protected by annual funds. Trump’s plan favors Trump, not technology. 3. Employee pushback is mounting at Amazon, at Tesla, and even at Tesla. The social U-turns have alienated workers, misled investors, and weakened trust. These Directors are caught between world business and patriotic politics.
VI. Trump’s Tech Trap
The breakup is genuine. Trump can no longer be seen as a means of achieving republican goals. He is not a lover. He has a motion. Uncertain. Personal. Unwieldy. Musk believed he was program the government. Bezos believed he was modify the story. Cook believed diplomacy was temper taxes. Zuckerberg believed that peace would protect him from the courts. Trump, however, doesn’t follow codes. In the middle of the sentence, he rewrites them. The Tech Brothers believed they could drive the cat. They are realizing that the lion travels with them. Or, to phrase a offer from a movie that is really much more entertaining than Captain America: Brave New World, when Alfred explains the philosophy of men like the Joker to Bruce Wayne:” Some men aren’t looking for something natural, like money,” They are not to be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Donald Trump is one of those people, much like the Joker.
