When CEOs Enter Politics

CEOs are no longer content with behind-the-scenes influence. From Elon Musk's $290 million election spending and his role leading DOGE inside the federal government, to Mark Zuckerberg's political pivot and Jeff Bezos silencing the Washington Post's endorsement, corporate leaders are reshaping democratic politics in plain sight. Fueled by Citizens United, social media platforms, and weakening institutions, CEO activism now poses serious risks to democratic accountability. Europe faces the same pressures. The question is whether democracies can respond before corporate power becomes permanent political power.