Jeff Bezos and other tech executives congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris following their triumph.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos posted a picture of Biden and Harris in an Instagram post, saying their win suggests that “unity, empathy and decency are not characteristics of a bygone era.”
Bezos has had a tumultuous relationship with President Donald Trump throughout his administration. Trump has repeatedly attacked Bezos over his ownership of The Washington Post, Amazon’s tax record, and its association with the Postal Service.
Another tech executive who congratulated Biden is Microsoft founder Bill Gates. A vocal critic of Trump’s coronavirus response, Gates said hoped to be “working with the new administration and leaders on both sides in Congress on getting the surging pandemic under control.”
Meanwhile, Microsoft President Brad Smith wrote a congratulatory message for Biden and Harris and called for unity in the U.S. “If we are to move forward as a nation, we must build new bridges to close the gaps that divide us,” Smith wrote.
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Priscilla Chan, cofounder of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and wife of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, congratulated Harris on her historic accomplishment, which makes her the first Black woman to be elected vice president.
“After a few long days, we now know that Joe Biden will be our next president – and for the first time in 231 years, our next vice president will be a Black and South Asian American woman who is the daughter of immigrants,” Sandberg said in a Facebook post. “There are times when America takes a big step toward creating a government that reflects the diverse country we are. Today is one of those days,” she added.
Laurene Powell Jobs, founder of Emerson Collective and widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs, tweeted about the win of Biden and Harris, saying that the vice president-elect’s victory shows a “glass ceiling shattered once and for all.”
Moreover, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins tweeted that the company reflects Biden and Harris’ “belief that we must build a more inclusive future for all.”
Box CEO Aaron Levie also posted a series of tweets about the victory of Biden and Harris. He believes it will be “great for American competitiveness.”
“While there’s nothing magical Biden can do, that’s the point,” Levie noted. “Businesses need market stability, global trade relations that don’t change on a whim, talent from everywhere, long-range planning and a lack of constant distractions.”
Steve Case, Revolution CEO and AOL co-founder, expressed his delight that Biden was voted as the 46th president of the U.S.
Biden's plans
Biden promised to prioritize the coronavirus pandemic. He announced the formation of a Covid task force. During his campaign, he demanded a stronger response from Donald trump's administration as well as solutions for the economic and health-care crises brought by the Covid-19 outbreak.
“What we know about this president is if he’s given four more years he will be what he’s been the last four years. A president who takes no responsibility, refuses to lead, blames others, cozies up to dictators, and fans the flames of hate and division. He will wake up every day believing the job is all about him. Never about you,” Biden said, referring to Trump.
Biden hoped history would “be able to say that the end of this chapter of American darkness began here tonight as love and hope and light joined in the battle for the soul of the nation.”
He mentioned that climate change is an issue that will also be addressed under his administration.
