In the second Donald Trump era, the separation between tech and politics appears vanishingly small. "Eight years ago, you'd never see a Tim Cook or Elon Musk in Mar-a-Lago. Now, you see them all the time," said Brian Ballard, founder of Ballard Partners and one of the top lobbyists recommended to us by industry insiders.

Federal lobbying spending hit a record high in 2024, with companies, nonprofits and other interest groups shelling out $4.4 billion to influence policymakers. Meta Platforms was the largest big tech spender, dropping more than $24 million last year as policy debates roiled over privacy, free speech and child safety issues. In the fluid political landscape of 2025, these spending trends are likely to continue as the rules governing the tech industry get rewritten.