The Billionaire Boom in the U.S./ Politics and Big Tech's Role

In the year 2000, Big Tech quietly dipped its toes into U.S. politics, spending just $13 million on elections—a modest sum by today's standards. Fast forward to 2025, and that number has exploded to nearly $5 billion, revealing a dramatic shift from silent influence to outright dominance. This tidal wave of money isn't just floating in the ether; it's flooding into Super PACs, lobbying firms, media platforms, and political campaigns on both sides of the aisle. Politicians are now more likely to align with Silicon Valley's interests—whether that’s on antitrust policies, censorship rules, surveillance allowances, or global data rights. For the average American, this means policy isn’t necessarily shaped by the people’s voice anymore—it’s being coded, funded, and streamed by tech titans. The price of influence has skyrocketed, and with it, democracy risks becoming a subscription service owned by the highest bidder.