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.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday he was prepared to hold elections within three months if the U.S. and Kyiv's other allies coul...
Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia extended into a third day on Wednesday as U.S. President Donald Trump said he would make a phone call to stop t...
Australia on Wednesday became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking access to platforms including TikTok, Alphabet's Y...
A group of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute to protest the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize....
Australia on Wednesday became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking access to platforms including TikTok, Alphabet's YouTube and Meta's Instagram and Facebook.
A group of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute to protest the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, outlined the country’s energy and gas sector developments at the 15th Türkiye Energy Summit in Istanbul.
A second aid ship carrying 10,080 tents provided by Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) has departed from Mersin International Port to help address the shelter needs in Sudan, where a humanitarian crisis is ongoing.
Authorities in Japan lifted all tsunami warnings on Tuesday following a strong 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck off the northeastern coast late on Monday, injuring at least 30 people and forcing around 90,000 residents to evacuate their homes.
Pressure is mounting between Venezuela and the United States as both nations emphasise military preparedness and strategic positioning.
A group of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute to protest the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
Tehran has protested to Washington because of the travel ban on its football team delegation as well as Iranian fans who would like to travel to the United States for the upcoming World Cup matches in 2026.
Paramount Skydance (PSKY.O) has launched a $108.4 billion hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O). The escalation follows a high-stakes battle that had appeared to end last week when Netflix secured a $72 billion deal for the studio giant’s assets.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday he was prepared to hold elections within three months if the U.S. and Kyiv's other allies could ensure the security of the vote.
Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia extended into a third day on Wednesday as U.S. President Donald Trump said he would make a phone call to stop the conflict, after he had brokered a ceasefire in July to end a five-day battle between the Asian neighbours.
Australia on Wednesday became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking access to platforms including TikTok, Alphabet's YouTube and Meta's Instagram and Facebook.
A group of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute to protest the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
German Chancellor Merz addresses foreign companies and congratulates Azerbaijan and Armenia on peace deal
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