It didn’t happen overnight, but step by step, the ultra-wealthy have tightened their grip on nearly every major platform and source of information Americans use daily.
And at the center of it all are a small group of billionaires with strong ties to President Donald Trump.
Melanie D’Arrigo, a former congressional candidate and healthcare advocate, recently pointed out on X: “Trump’s billionaire allies now control X, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok, Truth and Twitch. They own Fox News, CBS, WaPo, WSJ and NY Post — plus 185+ local TV stations and news in 100 markets.”
She added, “They control the AI you’re asking for answers, the algorithms feeding you content, your personal data you’ve given up for access, and the devices you rely on. The news and your privacy are now what Trump and his billionaire pals say it is. This is all by design.”
Media, Power, and Political Leverage
In an op-ed for The Guardian, former Labor Secretary Robert Reich offered a detailed look at how this quiet consolidation unfolded.
Reich wrote, “The richest man on earth owns X. The family of the second-richest man owns Paramount, which owns CBS, and could soon own Warner Bros, which owns CNN. The third-richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.”
That’s Elon Musk (X), Larry Ellison and his family (Paramount), and Mark Zuckerberg (Meta). And they’re not just buying media companies for fun or ego, Reich argued.
“If you’re a multibillionaire, you might view democracy as a potential threat to your net worth. Control over a significant share of the dwindling number of media outlets would enable you to effectively hedge against democracy by suppressing criticism of you and other plutocrats.”
With Trump back in office and openly rewarding loyalty while punishing opposition, the stakes have gotten higher.
According to Reich, media outlets owned by billionaires are increasingly soft-pedaling coverage that could anger the White House or damage their own business interests.
Bezos, Ellison, and the Trump Connection
Reich highlighted multiple examples, including how The Washington Post defended the demolition of the White House East Wing to build Trump a ballroom, while failing to disclose that Jeff Bezos’ Amazon was helping fund it.
The Post also endorsed a Pentagon push for new nuclear reactors without mentioning Amazon’s investment in a reactor startup.
Similarly, CBS News saw major resignations ahead of its merger with Skydance Media, founded by Larry Ellison’s son.
Reportedly, staff expressed concerns about editorial pressure and bias in favor of Trump.
After the merger, CBS settled a Trump lawsuit for $16 million and canceled The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, a frequent Trump critic. Trump ally , who chairs the FCC, then approved the merger.
Shortly afterward, David Ellison named opinion writer Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News, despite her lack of broadcast experience.
According to Reich, CBS also heavily edited Trump’s latest 60 Minutes interview to remove a comment where he bragged that the network “paid me a lotta money.”
Algorithms, AI, and Everything Else
Beyond newsrooms, this consolidation extends into AI platforms, social media feeds, and even devices.
As D’Arrigo noted, these billionaires control “the algorithms feeding you content, your personal data you’ve given up for access, and the devices you rely on.”
The implication: What you see, read, and believe is increasingly shaped by people with aligned financial and political interests, and with a direct line to the Oval Office.
A Threat to Democracy?
Reich warned that this isn’t just about media ownership. It’s about influence over public perception and policy.
“In an era when wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few individuals who have bought up key media, with a thin-skinned president… there is a growing danger that the public will not be getting the truth it needs to function in this democracy.”
He argued that media acquisitions by billionaires with business conflicts should be treated differently than buying other companies.
Reich also called on the media to disclose all conflicts of interest and for the public to support independent outlets that remain free from corporate or political control.
As Reich put it, quoting the longtime slogan of The Washington Post, “Democracy dies in darkness.”
He added, “Today, darkness is closing in because a demagogue sits in the Oval Office, and so much of the US’s wealth and media ownership is concentrated in the hands of a few people easily manipulated by that demagogue.”
What Comes Next?
The question isn’t just how we got here, but what happens if the trend continues.
Fewer independent newsrooms and more tech platforms owned by Trump-aligned billionaires mean that most of what people see online each day is filtered through a narrow set of interests.
Reich said one of the best ways to push back is to support independent journalism and expect more openness from media companies.
Otherwise, it becomes harder to tell what’s real and easier for those in power to control the story.
IMAGE CREDIT: ”Donald Trump” by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image adjusted for layout.