Amazon, Meta, Alphabet and Apple have all paraded their loyalty. Some scrapped diversity schemes, others lined up for photo ops and gift drops, and a few rewrote their corporate handbooks to mirror Trump's mood.

Microsoft skipped the inauguration, retained its diversity team, ignored public pressure and most recently declined Trump’s demand to sack Lisa Monaco, the company’s newly appointed president of global affairs.

Monaco, formerly deputy at Biden’s Justice Department, is a central target in Trump’s vengeance campaign. He posted on Truth Social that she is a “menace to US National Security” and fumed about her access to “highly sensitive information” through Microsoft's many federal contracts.

Trump wants her gone and so far, Satya Nadella has not blinked.

This refusal to play ball makes Vole the rare exception. Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg called Trump a “badass.” Amazon’s Jeff Bezos censored the Washington Post’s editorial line. Google’s Sundar Pichai and Apple’s Tim Cook turned up for Trump’s inauguration looking like school prefects.

But the software king of the world stood its ground. Chief diversity officer Lindsay-Rae McIntyre recently reinforced the firm’s DEI stance, calling it “crucial for innovation and success.” When Simpson Thacher offered free legal work to the Trump administration, Microsoft ditched them for Jenner & Block, which has taken the government to court.

So far, Trump has not retaliated directly, but there is an antitrust investigation on the boil. The real threat might be financial. Microsoft has won around $2.7 billion in federal work since 2020.

Tech consultant Niki Christoff warned: “This administration rewards companies that demonstrate political loyalty,” and penalises those that do not.

Vole has thrown Trump the occasional bone. It donated to his inauguration and more recently to the $250 million fund for the tacky gold-trimmed ballroom demolishing the White House’s historic East Wing.

According to Nu Wexler, a former staffer at Congress, Twitter and Facebook, Microsoft’s long history with federal agencies could offer some protection. He pointed out that “their products are already deeply embedded in federal systems.”

Still, Trump rarely lets go of a grudge. If he keeps pushing to remove Monaco, Microsoft may soon be forced to choose between political submission and keeping what is left of its spine.