I'm not sure what sort of ROI these jackasses expect

[conuly]

but they'll surely be disappointed.

Don't click on that link unless you're both willing and able to disengage from Amazon (including AWS), Facebook, etc. If that's not going to happen then the headline alone can only serve to dismay and upset you.

Comments

[jessie_c]

3 greedy, corrupt billionaires supporting a fourth greedy, corrupt billionaire so he can make even more regulations allowing them more money? Nope, can't think of any way they'd get a profit from their 'donations'. None at all.

[conuly]

The man is notorious for never paying his bills.

[jessie_c]

...to the little people.

[hudebnik]

True, he doesn't like to pay bills in the financial sense, but he's perfectly happy to visibly favor people who flatter and finance him. And even if they don't get anything actively good for their money, they're starting off the Presidential term "on the right foot".

Trump is of course well aware that they've criticized him in the past and are making nice only because he's going to be in power again. The fact that former critics will bow down and kiss your shoes when you gain power is a feature, not a bug.

And the billionaires kissing his shoes are well aware that for Trump, loyalty is a one-way street: he'll throw you under the bus as soon as you show the slightest independence or are no longer useful. Those are the rules of the game, everybody knows them, so they'll just make sure not to show the slightest independence or appear less than useful.

[mama_kestrel]

My take is that they're paying protection money, as one does to a mob boss. Realistically, a million is a big enough number to get Vveeta Voldemort's attention, but none of those three individuals will even notice it's gone.

[conuly]

A mob boss pays you back! It’s a dangerous business, your reputation is all you have.

[malada]

I hope they loose their shirts. They've already lost what little dignity they once had.

[kengr]

"Once you pay Danegeld, you'll never get rid of the Dane"

[silveradept]

Mostly, I think what they expect is to be left alone, and that if they can do that by siphoning off a tiny amount of their personal wealth to make the man who loves flattery look the other way, they'll spend plenty on that.

[rebeccmeister]

I'm mostly off of Amazon, but have found it tricky to figure out how to cut the cord for Facebook. I'm overdue for that project; it's going to take me some time to figure that one out.

[zesty_pinto]

Not surprised. Capitalists always aim for their own self interest.