From Elon Musk to Mark Zuckerberg, Donald Trump’s return to the White House will feature a coterie of prominent tech bros. By paving the way for the president-elect’s obsessions – ending diversity and inclusion initiatives, for example – these executives hope the new administration will back their crusade against regulation.

Some 15,700 kilometres away, Australia’s venture capitalists and start-up founders are split. Some say this is the moment to ride the Trump/Musk wave, ditching DEI policies and advocating for fewer rules to constrain their growth. Others, such as Daniel Petre, the co-founder of start-up investment stalwart Airtree Ventures, can’t disagree more strongly. “It is the same Gina Rinehart bullshit where people really mean that they should be allowed to do whatever they want, regardless of any external harm,” he says.