Business Leaders Rejoice at Trump's Defeat... Bezos Says "American Democracy Was Indeed Strong"

Gates "Let's Quickly Control COVID-19"
Women Entrepreneurs Celebrate Vice President Harris' Election... "The Glass Ceiling Has Been Broken"

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Major U.S. technology companies expressed their congratulations following the victory of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden in the recent presidential election. In particular, Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, and Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft (MS), who had an uncomfortable relationship with President Trump, shared their special reflections.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

On the 8th (local time), CEO Bezos posted on Instagram, "Their (President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris) victory shows that unity, empathy, and dignity are not just characteristics of the past," adding, "The largest number of voters in history once again proved through voting that American democracy is strong."

CNBC reported that Bezos had an uncomfortable relationship with President Trump during his tenure. In fact, not only The Washington Post (WP), which maintained a critical stance toward President Trump, but also its owner, CEO Bezos, were targeted. President Trump particularly criticized Amazon's tax payments and its relationship with the U.S. Postal Service, causing difficulties for CEO Bezos. With Biden's victory, the time has finally come for CEO Bezos to end his unfortunate ties with President Trump.

Gates stated, "I congratulate President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris and thank the workers who dedicated themselves during the challenging times of vote counting in America." He continued, "I hope the new administration and Congress will cooperate to control the pandemic and work with partners on global issues such as poverty, climate change, and inequality."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Gates has also criticized the U.S. government's response to COVID-19. Additionally, he has broadly criticized the Trump administration's policies on climate change and poverty issues.

Female entrepreneurs placed great significance on Harris's victory.

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook Chief Operating Officer (COO), and Priscilla Chan, wife of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, congratulated Vice President-elect Harris. They said, "For the first time in 231 years, the daughter of immigrants, a Black woman, and a South Asian American has become the next vice president," adding, "America has had moments when the government formation process showed how diverse our society is, and now is exactly such a time."

Lorraine Powell Jobs, widow of the late Steve Jobs, also congratulated Harris on her election. She remarked, "The glass ceiling has been broken once again," giving special meaning to the occasion.