'Grace and Courage': Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Tim Cook and More Tech Leaders Speak Out After Attempted Assassination of Former President Trump CEOs and business leaders took to social media following Saturday's events.

By Emily Rella Edited by Melissa Malamut

Key Takeaways

  • Business leaders and CEOs took to social media following the attempted assassination of former President Trump on Saturday during a campaign rally.
  • Jeff Bezos, Mark Cuban and Tim Cook were among those who condemned the violence.
  • Elon Musk formally endorsed Trump as his choice for presidential candidate.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Business leaders and CEOs are voicing well wishes for former President Donald Trump following the attempt on his life at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, which claimed the life of one spectator and injured two others.

Before Trump announced Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his VP pick on Monday, public figures and tech leaders including Mark Cuban, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk condemned the violence, and, in some cases, even endorsed the presidential candidate.

Related: Mark Cuban Warns About Fake Fundraisers on Social Media After Assassination Attempt: 'Makes Things Worse'

Here are how CEOs and business leaders reacted to the weekend's events.

Mark Zuckerberg

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to Threads to pen a message calling for a "quick recovery" for Trump, saying that Saturday was a "sad day" for America and noted that "political violence undermines democracy."

Zuckerberg is not affiliated with any political party, though a 2019 Time report found that the billionaire was quietly recommending potential hires to now-U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg's 2020 presidential campaign team.

Jeff Bezos

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos praised Trump on X for his "tremendous grace and courage" and mourned the other victims of the violence along with their families.

Bezos has previously donated to both Democratic and Republican candidates and organizations, including former President Barack Obama and former President Donald Trump. He has yet to endorse a candidate for the 2024 election.

He is also the owner of The Washington Post.

Tim Cook

The Apple CEO strongly condemned the violence and said that he hoped Trump would have a "rapid recovery."

Cook and Trump met a number of times during Trump's presidency, particularly during Washington's trade war with Beijing, China, a place where Apple produces much of its product base.

"I feel very strongly about engaging with people regardless of whether they agree with you or not," Cook told GQ last April regarding his meetings with the former president. "I actually think it's even more important to engage when there's disagreement."

Brian Chesky

The Airbnb CEO shared on X that he was "horrified" by the attempted assassination and said that he was "thankful" for Trump's safety.

Chesky expressed criticism over Trump's desire to build a wall between Mexico and the U.S. at a 2016 panel at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. In 2022, he donated $100 million to the Obama Foundation.

Related: Elon Musk Endorses Trump, Says 'Dangerous Times Ahead'

"Anyone who tries to put up barriers against culture is going to be on the wrong side of history," Chesky said at the time.

Mark Cuban

Cuban took to X in a series of posts that thanked the U.S. Secret Service for their actions.

Cuban also took the opportunity to warn his followers about potential grifters and scammers who may take advantage of the tragedy to steal funds through fake fundraisers that claim to raise money for victims.

Cuban has often been critical of Trump and has made it clear that he is not endorsing him for President.

"I'm no supporter of Trump," Cuban said in a March 2024 post on X. "That's for damn sure."

Elon Musk

Elon Musk formally endorsed Trump for President following the shooting on Saturday, just one day after a Bloomberg report revealed that Musk had donated to Trump's 2024 campaign.
Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

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