NEW YORK- President-elect Donald Trump was certainly top of mind on Wednesday as media executives, financial executives and technology entrepreneurs gathered New York City to hear from some of the world’s most influential people at the annual New York Times DealBook Summit.
Instead of the hostility that might have been expected from elites at the event, some were optimistic.
“I’m very hopeful — he seems to have a lot of energy in reducing regulations,” billionaire Jeff Bezos told Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin during an onstage conversation.
“My position is: If I can help him do that, I will help him,” Bezos continued. “Because we have too much regulation in this country.”
Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos told the New York Times on Wednesday at the DealBook Summit that he was “hopeful” about Trump’s second administration. (The New York Times DealBook Summit 2024 live/posted by Andrew Ross Sorkin)
Bezos, owner of the Washington Post, faced significant setbacks from both employees and subscribers when he ignored the liberal newspaper’s planned endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris days before the election.
“It was the right decision,” Bezos told Sorkin.
“I am proud of the decision we made, and it was far from cowardly, because we knew there would be a backlash,” he added. “We did the right thing.”
Bezos rejected the belief that he did not want his newspaper to endorse Harris because Trump might harbor a grudge against Amazon, the Washington Post or his other companies. He even suggested he likes what he’s seen from Trump since his victory over Harris.
“I am very optimistic that President Trump is taking this regulatory agenda seriously and I think he has a good chance of success,” Bezos said.
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Sorkin then asked, “What about the idea that he thinks the press is the enemy?”
Bezos said he would “try to talk him out of that,” and said Trump has “grown” in recent years.
“I don’t think he’ll see it the same way. Maybe I’m wrong,” Bezos said.
“What I’ve seen so far is that he’s calmer than the first time,” Bezos added. “And more confident, more settled.”
President-elect Donald Trump was top of mind among media executives, financial executives and technology entrepreneurs at the annual New York Times DealBook Summit. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Bezos wasn’t the only high-profile speaker to talk about Trump.
Former President Bill Clinton, who told Sorkin he “wished” President Biden had not repeatedly promised that he would not pardon his son Hunter Biden if he did, also called out the new president.
Clinton said Democrats have not learned to disagree with the press without sounding like a “left-wing version of Donald Trump.”
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell also spoke at the event, saying he was “confident” working with Trump’s Treasury nominee, Scott Bessent, would go smoothly. Podcast host Alex Cooper of ‘Call Her Daddy’ revealed that her team had conversations with Trump’s campaign ahead of the election – no interview ever took place, but she interviewed Harris — and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has addressed concerns that Elon Musk’s close relationship with Trump could hurt OpenAI.
Alex Cooper, host of “Call Her Daddy” and founder of the Unwell Network, speaks during the New York Times annual DealBook Summit at Jazz at Lincoln Center on December 4, 2024 in New York City. ((Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images))
“I feel quite strongly that Elon will do the right thing and that it would be completely un-American to use political power to the extent that Elon would harm competitors and benefit his own companies,” Altman told Sorkin.
Ken Griffin, CEO of Citadel, a Republican Party donor, kicked things off hours before Bezos took the stage by suggesting America is “back to business” before a packed crowd at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
“For corporate America, the world today is a better world than it was before the election,” Griffin told Sorkin.
The annual DealBook conference in New York City showcases some of the most influential people in the world. Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex and tennis legend Serena Williams were among other speakers.
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Former CNN CEO Chris Licht, New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft, billionaire hedge fund guru Bill Ackman, Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan, former anchor Katie Couric, former CNN CEO Jeff Zucker, Lance Armstrong and fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff were among the high-profile attendees of the Suumit.
