President Donald Trump’s Inaugural Committee raised $239 million, according to a new funding report backed by a million-dollar contributions from major companies and executives.
The massive haul is more than twice the $109 million raised at his first inauguration in 2017 (a record so far). Among those who wrote the massive checks were those who were tapped by Trump to become government officials, especially those in the oil, financial, technology and transportation sectors, as well as prominent businesses (and their leaders) in front of the administration.
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., a leading poultry producer, has donated more than any other individual or company, sending $5 million to Trump’s first committee. Right behind it was Ripple Labs from Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Company, which gave it almost $4.9 million.
At least $500,000 energy companies each gave $500,000, each, including Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Shell, Occidental Petroleum Co., Ltd. and the political divisions of the American Petroleum Institute.
Artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency companies, including Solana Labs, Open AI CEO, Sam Altman, Ripple, C3.AI, Coinbase, Galaxy Digital Services, and Perplexity AI, have also become ponys with similar donations.
Amazon and Meta each donated $1 million. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg attended Trump’s inauguration and won a prominent seat in Capitol Rotunda. Apple CEO Tim Cook also gave him $1 million.
Computing companies Micron, Nvidia, Qualcomm and Microsoft also made six-figure donations, and healthcare companies such as HIMS, Johnson and Johnson, Merck, Pfizer and Amgen. Live Nation has donated $500,000, and two online gambling companies, DraftKings and Fanduel, each just below.
Other major donors include those with ties to the Trump administration. Some of these have ultimately been deprived of the main administration role by the president.
GOP mega donor Warren Stevens, who Trump tapped as British ambassador, gave him $4 million. Trump’s candidate Jared Isackman, who leads Trump’s NASA, gave him $2 million, as Trump chose to Latvian ambassador Melissa Argiros.
Tillman Fertita, appointed as Italian ambassador, gave him $1 million. Education Secretary Linda McMahon gave her $1 million. Canter Fitzgerald, former employer of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, gave him $1,047,000. New York Stock Exchange Chairman Jeffrey Sprecher was given $1 million by Jeffrey Sprecher, husband of small business manager Kelly Roefler. Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent gave him $250,000.
And prominent Republican political donors have also opened a pocket book. Miriam Adelson and Ken Griffin each gave $1 million, while members of the Ricketts, Schwab and DeVos family all gave six-figure checks.
Foreigners and businesses cannot make donations (although American subsidiaries can do), but the first committee is not subject to contribution restrictions. Within 90 days of all inaugurations, each committee must report tally donations of $200 or more.
