The prominent billionaires who accompanied Trump during his swearing-in have suffered significant losses in their wealth

The start of Donald Trump's second term coincided with a period of significant market optimism, driven by the expectation of investment-friendly policies. However, the picture has changed seven weeks after the inauguration, and several of the world's largest fortunes have experienced significant adjustments.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, five entrepreneurs present at the January 20 ceremony have seen a combined reduction of $209 billion in their net worth, amid a widespread plunge in the stock markets.

A cycle of investment ups and downs

Between Trump's election and his inauguration, markets enthusiastically reacted to the expectation of favorable policies for large corporations. The S&P 500 index reached record levels, reflecting investor confidence in key sectors such as technology and luxury. In the weeks leading up to the change in government, companies such as Tesla, Meta, and LVMH experienced significant increases in valuation.

However, since January 20, the S&P 500 has dropped 6.4%, and key companies in the fortunes of the tycoons present at the investiture have collectively lost $1.39 trillion in market value.

Impact on top fortunes

Elon Musk has been one of the hardest hit, with a $148 billion reduction in his net worth. His fortune reached an all-time high of $486 billion in December, boosted by Tesla's stock market boom. However, the company has reversed those gains in recent weeks. Factors such as falling sales in Germany, where vehicle registrations were down more than 70% in the first two months of the year, and a 49% drop in shipments from China have hurt its valuation.

Jeff Bezos net worth has also adjusted, with a $29 billion loss due to a 14 % drop in Amazon shares since Jan. 17.

For his part, Sergey Brin has seen a $22 billion reduction following a 7% drop in the value of Alphabet Inc. in early February. The company missed quarterly revenue expectations and faces a Department of Justice investigation into its dominance in the search-engine market.

Mark Zuckerberg and Bernard Arnault have each posted losses of $5 billion. Meta started the year with a solid performance, but its value has returned to previous levels. LVMH, meanwhile, faces uncertainty in the luxury goods sector due to possible changes in global trade policy.

Outlook for the coming months

The market continues to show signs of adjustment after a period of substantial gains. As the year progresses, investors are closely watching developments in economic and trade policies, as well as movements in key sectors that have driven growth in recent years.