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.
Pope Francis, the first pontiff from Latin America and one of the most reform-minded leaders in modern Church history, has died at the age of 88 following a cerebral stroke, the Vatican announced on Monday.
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A new UN report has warned that criminal syndicates behind Asia’s billion-dollar cyber scam industry are spreading operations across the globe, reaching as far as South America, Eastern Europe and Africa, as enforcement in Southeast Asia falls short of containing them.
Google is facing a landmark antitrust trial beginning Monday, as U.S. officials seek to break up the tech giant's dominance in the search engine market.
Pope Francis, the first pontiff from Latin America and one of the most reform-minded leaders in modern Church history, has died at the age of 88 following a cerebral stroke, the Vatican announced on Monday.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday, with both leaders welcoming progress in talks toward an early trade deal, as India races to finalise an agreement and avoid fresh American tariffs.
A new UN report has warned that criminal syndicates behind Asia’s billion-dollar cyber scam industry are spreading operations across the globe, reaching as far as South America, Eastern Europe and Africa, as enforcement in Southeast Asia falls short of containing them.
As the world mourns Pope Francis, attention turns to the cardinals known as papabili — those considered possible successors. From Europe to Africa, here are the key names being discussed ahead of the next conclave.
The Kremlin on Monday expressed satisfaction with recent statements from Washington indicating that Ukraine’s NATO membership is no longer under consideration — a position that aligns closely with Russia’s long-standing stance on the issue.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for April 16th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope and a transformative figure in the Roman Catholic Church, has passed away at the age of 88, the Vatican confirmed in a video statement on Monday.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov has praised France’s rejection of a controversial encryption bill, warning that weakening privacy protections would do little to stop crime but could endanger millions of law-abiding users.
Pope Francis, the first pontiff from Latin America and one of the most reform-minded leaders in modern Church history, has died at the age of 88 following a cerebral stroke, the Vatican announced on Monday.
A new UN report has warned that criminal syndicates behind Asia’s billion-dollar cyber scam industry are spreading operations across the globe, reaching as far as South America, Eastern Europe and Africa, as enforcement in Southeast Asia falls short of containing them.
As the world mourns Pope Francis, attention turns to the cardinals known as papabili — those considered possible successors. From Europe to Africa, here are the key names being discussed ahead of the next conclave.
The Kremlin on Monday expressed satisfaction with recent statements from Washington indicating that Ukraine’s NATO membership is no longer under consideration — a position that aligns closely with Russia’s long-standing stance on the issue.
Pope Francis, the first pontiff from Latin America and one of the most reform-minded leaders in modern Church history, has died at the age of 88 following a cerebral stroke, the Vatican announced on Monday.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday, with both leaders welcoming progress in talks toward an early trade deal, as India races to finalise an agreement and avoid fresh American tariffs.
A new UN report has warned that criminal syndicates behind Asia’s billion-dollar cyber scam industry are spreading operations across the globe, reaching as far as South America, Eastern Europe and Africa, as enforcement in Southeast Asia falls short of containing them.
As the world mourns Pope Francis, attention turns to the cardinals known as papabili — those considered possible successors. From Europe to Africa, here are the key names being discussed ahead of the next conclave.
The Kremlin on Monday expressed satisfaction with recent statements from Washington indicating that Ukraine’s NATO membership is no longer under consideration — a position that aligns closely with Russia’s long-standing stance on the issue.
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