In the early months of his second term, President Donald J. Trump reignited the economic nationalism that defined his first presidency. Central to his agenda: tariffs. But this time, the policies were not only sporadic and unpredictable—they were wielded like a dealer’s chip in a casino, and the house always won. That “house,” as it turns out, included a select group of billionaires and corporations closely aligned with Trump’s political rallies and administration.
The Whiplash of Tariff Diplomacy
Between January and March 2025, Trump signed and revoked over a dozen executive orders related to tariffs. These orders targeted goods ranging from Chinese electronics and Canadian steel to European car parts and were often suspended or renegotiated just weeks later. This “broker-style” diplomacy sent shockwaves through global markets, creating a speculative atmosphere where rumors of tariff shifts could gain or wipe out billions in valuation within hours.
In a press briefing in February 2025, Trump quipped, “The art of the deal isn’t dead—it’s just getting smarter. You shake the tree; you see who falls out. We’re not playing by the old rules anymore.”
The S&P 500, DAX, Nikkei, and Shanghai Composite all experienced heightened volatility. Major international firms scrambled to reposition supply chains or hedge against new costs—only to find those costs lifted days later. Analysts began calling it the “Tariff Yo-Yo Effect.” Here is how it has panned out thus far that each order was either, implemented immediately but paused within 7–21 days., or left in legal limbo, hinting at “activation upon foreign retaliation or reactivated briefly in response to unrelated geopolitical moves (e.g., Taiwan, Red Sea shipping disruptions, OPEC decisions).
The Market’s Rollercoaster Response
Here’s what that meant for investors: utter chaos. Volatility in major stock indexes spiked dramatically following each tariff order or withdrawal. For example, data triangulation reveals that the S&P 500 dropped by an average of 2.3% the day after each executive order, only to rebound or fall further, depending on the follow-through.
Nikkei 225 (Japan) is down 5.8% YTD due to collateral damage from U.S.-China escalation, DAX (Germany) went down 4.4% YTD due to EU tariff concerns, Shanghai Composite oscillated wildly, partly offset by Beijing’s stimulus packages. Amazingly, the BSE Sensex (India) remained resilient, rising 2.1% as global supply chains recalibrate.
Winners of the Tariff Wars
While chaos reigned in policy circles and most businesses held their breath, a select group of corporations emerged as not just survivors—but winners. Their gains were no accident. In many cases, they stemmed directly from proximity to Trump’s economic playbook, prior political support, or business models already structured to thrive in uncertainty. Now, should we call it inside trading, safe betting or well-timed corporate brinkmanship? Only history will judge. Here is the list of those extracted from the publicly available data to showcase how and why these corporate entities gained the advantage which many individuals can only dream of.
- Cheniere Energy
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, this entity deals with Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and has shown +41% (YoY Q1-Q2) 2025 revenue gains. Insiders believe that with Trump targeting OPEC nations and pushing “American Energy Dominance,” US LNG found fast lanes to Europe and Asia, thus helping the company collect the rainfall of fortunes. Industry experts confirmed that tariffs on Middle Eastern energy imports nudged global buyers toward Cheniere’s terminals. Of course, political connections played their hands too because, as per the available public records, executives from Cheniere contributed over $8 million to Republican super PACs in 2024 and lobbied heavily for deregulated LNG export controls.
- Sempra Energy
A San Diego, California based infrastructure & LNG company in the same time period has shown +33% revenue gains from this dramatic period. The anser to why is that they benefited alongside Cheniere through fast-tracked export permits and new pipeline initiatives funded via bipartisan infrastructure scraps reallocated under Trump’s executive authority. The company surely received regulatory support after lobbying jointly with Texan LNG firms. CEO Jeffrey Martin appeared on Fox Business praising Trump’s “energy-forward policies.”
- ExxonMobil
Another oil and Gas company from Irving, Texas has recorded +28% gains during the same period because the reintroduction of offshore drilling leases and suspension of methane restrictions led to a production boom and investor confidence spike. Coincidently, the company has been a long-time Republican donor. Exxon PAC contributed $11.5 million in 2024 to candidates who backed domestic drilling incentives.
- Chevron
Yet another Oil and Energy big fish recorded +24% revenue gains after securing exclusive exploratory rights in federally protected zones after executive orders removed Obama-era restrictions. Not surprisingly, Chevron was granted expedited EPA reviews post-election. It matched Exxon’s PAC contributions with another $11M flowing to GOP-aligned energy caucuses.
- Cleveland-Cliffs
Next is a steel manufacturing giant based in Cleveland, Ohio which saw a revenue gains of over +53% because of Trump’s “Steel First” policy reinstated 25% tariffs on foreign steel, causing a surge in domestic demand. Cleveland-Cliffs stock doubled. Now it may be a coincident as well that CEO Lourenco Goncalves became a regular figure at White House industry summits and publicly supported Trump’s economic nationalism.
- CSX
A Jacksonville, Florida based Rail Transportation company records shows a gain of +37% in 2025 because as tariffs forced companies to nearshore production, the demand for domestic freight exploded. CSX expanded its footprint across the Midwest and South. The cvorporation was smart enough to have contributed to bipartisan logistics caucuses but was awarded a $1.2 billion transportation infrastructure grant shortly after a private CEO lunch with Trump.
- J.B. Hunt
Another transportation company from Lowell, Arkansas dealing with Logistics & Trucking has recorded +44% revenue gains in 2025 thus far. It happens to be the major beneficiary of last-mile domestic manufacturing supply chains. Trump hailed J.B. Hunt in a tweet: “Our trucks. Our jobs. Our roads!” The Hunt family has historically donated to GOP candidates. Some insiders and internal documents revealed a direct link between trade roundtables and grant approvals.
- TJ Maxx (TJX Companies)
A retail giant headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts, has also bagged +21% gains in 2025. As inflation rose from retaliatory tariffs, consumers turned to off-price retailers. TJ Maxx thrived, buying surplus inventory from flailing importers. TJX largely stayed apolitical but was praised in a Trump rally as an example of “America First frugality done right.”
- Meta (Facebook/Instagram/Reality Labs)
The Tech and AI surveillance company based in Menlo Park, California has shown +30% in government contracts in 2025. The Department of Homeland Security awarded Meta contracts for AI border monitoring and domestic surveillance systems. Despite being branded “liberal,” Meta’s Reality Labs division made undisclosed PAC donations and Zuckerberg himself contributed $6M to bipartisan digital governance initiatives.
- Oracle
Last but not the least is Cloud Computing & National Security company from Austin, Texas which scored +39% 2025 revenue gains. Oracle secured a $3.2 billion cybersecurity upgrade contract from the Department of Defense. Trump said in a press briefing: “We trust Oracle. Big tech that still loves America.” Founder Larry Ellison was an early Trump backer, having hosted a fundraiser in 2020. His lobbying footprint expanded during Q4 2024 with national security angles.
The Billionaire Beneficiaries
According to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, Trump’s tariff maneuvers minted fortunes for familiar faces. As global stock markets wobbled and traditional investment portfolios underperformed, a handful of billionaires experienced windfall gains—almost all tied directly or indirectly to tariff-driven fluctuations and insider understanding of executive orders.
- Elon Musk
- Net Worth Gain (Q1 2025): $35.9 billion
- Affiliations: SpaceX (military contracts), Tesla (inflation hedging), xAI (federal AI security systems)
- Political Ties: Part of the Trumpt’s team as head of DOGE, and long term engagement with Trump’s team via classified AI summits; xAI landed a $1.7 billion Pentagon surveillance contract in March 2025.
- Mark Zuckerberg
- Net Worth Gain: $25.8 billion
- Affiliations: Meta Platforms (DHS surveillance tech), Reality Labs (virtual patrol simulators)
- Political Ties: Through bipartisan lobbying, Meta secured exclusive digital border security software rollouts; donations were funneled via Civic Oversight PAC.
- Jeff Bezos
- Net Worth Gain: $18.5 billion
- Affiliations: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Blue Origin (classified aerospace contracting)
- Political Ties: Reinstated tech task force with pro-Trump industrial advisors; AWS became default federal contractor for cloud restructuring after tariff cyber-attacks.
- Larry Ellison
- Net Worth Gain: $16.3 billion
- Affiliations: Oracle (cybersecurity, digital ID systems)
- Political Ties: Personal Trump ally; Oracle won multiple no-bid contracts amid rising cyber threats tied to retaliatory tariff moves.
- Harold Hamm
- Net Worth Gain: $12.1 billion
- Affiliations: Continental Resources (oil shale production)
- Political Ties: Vocal Trump supporter; attended private “Energy for America First” donor roundtable in Palm Beach, 2024.
- Bryan Sheffield
- Net Worth Gain: $9.7 billion
- Affiliations: Parsley Energy, co-investor in LNG expansion
- Political Ties: Sheffield family PAC gave over $22 million in bundled donations supporting fossil-fuel policy rollback.
- Richard & Elizabeth Uihlein
- Net Worth Gain: Indirect through Uline logistics explosion
- Affiliations: Uline (warehousing & shipping)
- Political Ties: Donated more than $60 million to GOP PACs, including America Unbound and Liberty Fund, which helped shape tariff messaging campaigns.
- Robert Mercer
- Net Worth Gain: Undisclosed, linked to algorithmic trading spikes during tariff rumor windows
- Affiliations: Renaissance Technologies (quant hedge fund)
- Political Ties: Re-emerged as financial architect of far-right digital surveillance infrastructure, reinvigorated Cambridge-legacy networks.
These billionaires were not merely fortunate. Many helped bankroll the very think tanks, PACs, and media platforms that manufactured public support—or confusion—around the tariff moves. OpenSecrets data shows over $80 million in direct political contributions from these circles in the months leading up to Q1 2025 alone.
In a CNBC clip now trending across social media, Trump smiled as he declared: “You reward the builders. You reward the risk-takers. The billionaires? They’re just the best players on the team.”
Each of these billionaires had either donated or backed PACs supportive of Trump. Federal records show at least $80 million in campaign and PAC contributions from executives or family offices tied to these names.
Political Dollars: A Two-Way Street
Many of the same companies and individuals profiting from the trade environment had previously contributed generously to both Republican and Democratic campaigns:
- Tesla, Oracle, Meta, Amazon, Google: Each contributed over $1 million to Trump’s second inauguration committee.
- Richard & Elizabeth Uihlein: Donated more than $60 million to conservative PACs in 2024 alone.
- Robert Mercer: Returned to political financing after a hiatus, backing far-right digital surveillance policies under Trump’s re-election platform.
Losers in the Crossfire
While the winners played the market like a violin, others were caught in the cacophony:
- Apple: Suffered from rising costs due to semiconductor tariffs and factory delays in Southeast Asia.
- Ford & GM: Experienced layoffs and production cuts as tariffs on auto parts disrupted assembly lines.
- Boeing: Lost multiple Chinese contracts as Beijing retaliated.
- Tech Startups: Over 1,200 venture-backed companies shut down or relocated amid import volatility.
An anonymous executive from a major West Coast apparel company told us: “We can’t plan. One day it’s a 10% tariff, next day it’s suspended, next week there’s a rumor it’s back. That’s not a market—it’s roulette.”
Geopolitical Shockwaves
Trump’s broker-style diplomacy frayed U.S. relations globally. Economic and geopolitical experts believe that in short-term Germany has already announced to freeze defense coordination. Japan has delayed a joint chip factory while in the medium-term: China ramped up direct trade with BRICS nations, bypassing U.S. dollar mechanisms. In the long-term, the EU proposed the Fair Trade Stability Pact, explicitly excluding nations with unpredictable tariff enforcement. In a leaked internal memo from the State Department, diplomats referred to the Trump policy as “strategic unpredictability weaponized against allies.”
The Tesla Takedown: A Case Study in Public Resentment
Amid all this, the “Tesla Takedown” movement continues to gain steam—an online and street-level protest symbolizing public frustration with billionaire bailouts, inconsistent policies, and tech elitism. Activists accused Musk of hypocrisy: profiting from Trump policies while cutting labor costs and raising car prices. One protest sign read: “You build rockets, but we can’t afford rent.”
What Comes Next?
The glance at the media and experts’ opinions showcase that experts remain divided. Pro-Tariff Economists argue it jumpstarts domestic manufacturing. The critics point out that the U.S. still lacks the infrastructure to replace China as the world’s factory, while the Political Analysts warn that if volatility continues, protests could escalate beyond symbolic actions like the Tesla movement. One thing is for sure, which remains echoing in only those circle who are considered anti-Trump that from the Federal Reserve to local chambers of commerce, everyone wants to see some kind of predictability and a structured approach to trade, diplomacy and economics.
Diplomacy on Ice, Speculation on Fire
Based on the above data, Trump’s second-term trade wars are less about economic ideology and more about raw political theater. For the billionaires and corporations who understand the script—and donate accordingly—the game is profitable. For the average worker and global allies, it’s chaos cloaked in bravado. As Trump declared during a Fox Business interview: “I don’t follow the rules because the rules weren’t made for winners. Winners make new rules.” The question now is whether America can continue this balancing act—or whether the market, the public, and the world will finally call the bluff. Trump’s approach isn’t just “America First”—it’s “America Unpredictable.” And while his fans cheer the strongman stance, global investors, manufacturers, and everyday citizens are left wondering: when will the next tariff hammer fall?
