In a nutshell: Two of the most influential CEOs in the tech world, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, have closely aligned themselves with President Donald Trump recently, but how has that affected the nation's view of these billionaires? According to a new survey, more people dislike the pair than like them. However, while Republicans understandably have a more favorable opinion of Musk, it seems almost everyone dislikes Zuckerberg.
Between January 27, 2025 and February 2, 2025, The Pew Research Center asked just over 5,000 US adults for their opinions on Trump, his policies, and his actions so far. There were also questions to gauge Americans' view of Musk and Zuckerberg.
Musk, who has been a very vocal supporter of the president on X, is now the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Overall, the world's richest person is viewed unfavorably, though only slightly – 54% said they see him as very or mostly unfavorable, while 42% called him mostly or very favorable.
Musk's closeness to Trump means 73% of Republican voters view the Tesla boss favorably, while 85% of Democrats see him as unfavorable.
As for Zuckerberg, the Meta boss has been trying to win Trump's support since he was elected by suspending Meta's fact-checking program, reducing the amount of censorship, and recommending more political content across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. He's also been calling for more masculine energy in companies.
But Zuckerberg's efforts haven't endeared him to the public – 67% see him as unfavorable, while just 25% hold a favorable opinion.
The Meta boss might be trying to get on Trump's side, but most Republicans surveyed aren't convinced, with 60% viewing him unfavorably, not much lower than the 76% of Democrats who see him the same way.
It seems that the younger you are, the more likely you are to hold an unfavorable view of Musk and Zuckerberg, no matter your political affiliation. It's a trend that's especially evident among Republicans' opinions of Musk: while almost half (47%) of those under 30 hold an unfavorable view of him, that number falls to 23% among those aged 30 to 49, and to just 16% among over 50s.
Zuckerberg's apparent change in his political stance led to a lawyer dropping Meta as a client in January, citing its CEO's "toxic masculinity and neo-Nazi madness." But while many people left Meta's platforms following Zuckerberg's changes, user numbers have since rebounded.
Survey shows Elon Musk remains popular among Republicans, but both sides dislike Mark Zuckerberg
