第一财经·2025-08-19 04:18Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the increasing security expenditures of major tech companies in the U.S. due to rising threats against executives, highlighting a significant rise in security budgets and the growing concerns among business leaders regarding personal safety [3][5]. Group 1: Security Expenditures - As of 2024, the security budget for the top ten tech CEOs in the U.S. has exceeded $45 million, with companies like Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Palantir seeing over 10% year-on-year growth in their security budgets [3]. - Meta has the highest security expenditure among major tech firms, spending over $27 million on security for CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his family in 2024, which is a $3 million increase from the previous year [5][6]. - The number of companies in the tech sector providing security measures for executives has increased by 73.5% from 2020 to 2024 [5]. Group 2: Rising Threats and Concerns - The article notes a general increase in threats against executives, particularly after high-profile incidents, leading to a fivefold increase in risk assessment consultations for executive security [5][9]. - High-profile tech leaders are particularly vulnerable, with public sentiment towards corporate profits, layoffs, and data misuse contributing to the perceived risks [5]. - Security experts indicate that the nature of threats has evolved, with a shift from personal vendettas to broader violence against corporate leaders [9]. Group 3: Individual Executive Security Measures - Elon Musk has significantly increased his personal security, employing up to 20 security personnel and spending $2.4 million on security in 2023, although the projected budget for 2024 is only $500,000 [7][8]. - Amazon has consistently spent $1.6 million annually on security for Jeff Bezos, with an increase to $1.1 million for current CEO Andy Jassy in 2023 [7]. - In contrast, Apple's CEO Tim Cook's security costs decreased from $2.4 million in 2023 to $1.4 million in 2024 [8]. Group 4: Broader Industry Impact - The security concerns have led various companies to implement stricter travel policies and remove executive photos from websites to mitigate risks [9]. - Companies like Lockheed Martin have restricted their CEO to using only company private jets for travel due to safety concerns [9]. - The article also highlights that cryptocurrency executives are among the most proactive in enhancing their security measures, with Coinbase spending $6.2 million on security for its CEO [10].