Feng Huang Wang·2026-01-23 00:34Group 1 - The core strategy for major tech companies to gain favor with the Trump administration involves record lobbying expenditures, frequent visits to the White House, and public praise for the president [1] - In 2025, U.S. large tech and AI companies spent a total of $109 million on lobbying, marking the first time this figure surpassed $100 million [1] - Major companies like Nvidia, OpenAI, and Meta expanded their government relations departments to align better with Trump's policy agenda in 2025 [1] Group 2 - Meta led all tech companies in lobbying expenditures in 2025, spending over $26 million, followed by Amazon with over $17 million and Alphabet with over $13 million [2] - Apple reportedly spent a record $10 million on U.S. lobbying in 2025, a nearly 30% increase from the previous year [2] - The appointment of billionaire tech investor David Sacks as the White House AI affairs head in 2025 aligned Silicon Valley's priorities closely with the government's AI agenda [2] Group 3 - Nvidia received approval from Trump to export its powerful H200 AI chips to China and successfully removed a chip export clause from a defense bill [3] - OpenAI, Meta, and Andreessen Horowitz convinced Trump and White House officials to issue an executive order aimed at limiting state-level independent regulation of AI [3]