Aaron Levie, the CEO of Box, initially supported Vice President Kamala Harris in last week’s presidential election. However, with former President Donald Trump now poised to return to the White House, Levie has expressed his backing for Trump’s deregulation initiatives.
One of the key factors influencing Levie’s shift in support is his admiration for Silicon Valley figure Elon Musk. Levie believes Musk is uniquely suited for the task of reforming government, noting that the resistance to such changes is typically high.
“I don’t think there’s a better person for this particular task, let’s say, than Elon, because of how resistant the government normally would be to this type of change,” Levie shared on the POLITICO Tech podcast.
Levie urges a celebration of tech leaders like Musk for their alignment with party values
Musk’s history of solving difficult challenges, whether through SpaceX’s commercial rockets or Tesla’s electric cars, adds to his appeal. Now, as co-leader of Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, Musk has committed to implementing outstanding and swift cuts to federal programs and regulations.
Levie urges Democrats to reconsider their opposition to Musk and allow him to prove his abilities. Reflecting on the party’s recent loss, he suggests that Democrats should celebrate Musk and other tech leaders, whose successes align with the party’s values.
Levie has questioned the animosity directed at Musk, calling it both politically damaging and detrimental to the country. “It’s not only a bad political strategy — see this election — but it’s just bad for the country,” he concluded. You can hear the full interview on the POLITICO Tech podcast.
