US President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee raised an unprecedented $239 million for the events surrounding his 2025 swearing-in — shattering past records and drawing scrutiny over the outsize influence of billionaires and corporate giants.
According to a Federal Election Commission filing, the top donor was Colorado-based poultry giant Pilgrim’s Pride, which contributed $5 million. Major cryptocurrency players Ripple Labs and Robinhood followed with donations of $4.9 million and $2 million, respectively.
Several top donors have since been tapped for prominent government posts. Arkansas financier Warren Stephens, who gave $4 million, was nominated as US ambassador to the UK, while billionaire Jared Isaacman — awaiting Senate confirmation to lead NASA — contributed $2 million. Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also appeared on the donor list with $1 million and $250,000 contributions, respectively.
Among corporate donors, Meta and Amazon each gave $1 million, reportedly securing prime seats at the January 20 ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda for CEOs Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos. Chipmaker Nvidia, facing trade restrictions with China, also gave $1 million.
The Trump Vance Inaugural Committee reported taking in $245.3 million and refunding just over $6 million. Roughly 60% of the total came from more than 130 individual million-dollar donations, underscoring the heavy reliance on high-dollar donors to finance the lavish events.
Notably, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, hedge fund manager Paul Singer, and Trump political ally Miriam Adelson were among those contributing $1 million personally.
Steve Kerrigan, who produced inaugural events for Barack Obama and Joe Biden, said Trump’s figures are far beyond what is required. “There’s simply no need for that level of spending unless it’s intended to buy access,” he told CNN.
The Kremlin on Friday confirmed that a meeting in Hungary between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump could take place wi...
On Friday, a delegation from the Turkish National Defence Ministry paid an official visit to Damascus, the capital of Syria....
Africa’s trade corridors are opening up major opportunities for investors, serving as strategic routes that unite investment, human resources, exper...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss military support for Ukraine amid it...
Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to extend their 48-hour ceasefire until the conclusion of peace talks expected to begin on Saturday in Doha, Qata...
The Kremlin on Friday confirmed that a meeting in Hungary between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump could take place within the next two weeks.
On Friday, a delegation from the Turkish National Defence Ministry paid an official visit to Damascus, the capital of Syria.
Africa’s trade corridors are opening up major opportunities for investors, serving as strategic routes that unite investment, human resources, expertise, and digital transformation across the continent.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss military support for Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia.
Video from the USGS (United States Geological Survey) showed on Friday (19 September) the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupting and spewing lava.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
Authorities in California have identified the dismembered body discovered in a Tesla registered to singer D4vd as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been missing from Lake Elsinore since April 2024.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution renewing Haiti’s sanctions regime for another year. The measures include targeted asset freezes, travel bans, and an arms embargo.
The Secretary-General of TÜRKPA held a meeting with Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister during the 19th Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), held on 15–16 October in Kampala, Uganda.
The UN on Friday said humanitarian operations are continuing in the Gaza Strip, with aid convoys moving through multiple crossings and thousands of people recorded travelling across the territory.
The Kremlin on Friday confirmed that a meeting in Hungary between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump could take place within the next two weeks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss military support for Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia.
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