CEOs and Companies Flock to Donate $1 Million to Trump’s Inaugural Fund
- Donald Trump is getting donations left and right from the biggest names in business.
- Ford, GM, and Toyota are among the latest to give $1 million each to Trump’s inaugural fund.
- Business leaders are angling to get or stay in his good graces and help shape his policymaking.
The latest trend in business? Contributing $1 million to Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Business leaders from various industries are eager to secure favor with the president-elect as he prepares for his return to the White House. Some are opening their wallets, with several companies stepping up to donate.
Automakers have been among the contributors, with Ford, GM, and Toyota all planning to give $1 million each to Trump’s inauguration fund.
In the finance sector, Citadel founder Ken Griffin is said to be donating $1 million, and both Goldman Sachs and Bank of America are also making contributions, though the amounts haven’t been disclosed. Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase is on board with $1 million, while Robinhood is contributing $2 million.
Tech companies were some of the first to donate. Meta confirmed it’s giving $1 million, while Amazon has pledged the same amount and will also broadcast the inauguration on Prime Video. Uber, along with its CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, has each committed $1 million to the cause.
Sam Altman is personally contributing $1 million to the inauguration fund, according to OpenAI. In a statement shared with several news outlets, Altman expressed his support for Trump, saying, “President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead.”
Some tech leaders may be attempting to repair their relationship with Trump after his harsh criticisms of them during his first term, which included lawsuits against a few. Trump has also made it clear that he plans to challenge Big Tech during his second term.
Following Trump’s November victory, a wave of CEOs publicly congratulated him, took calls from the president-elect, and visited him at Mar-a-Lago. Among those reported to have dined with Trump were Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Apple CEO Tim Cook.
According to The Information, Google CEO Sundar Pichai is also planning to meet with Trump. Meanwhile, the Justice Department continues its high-profile antitrust case against Google, urging a judge to require the company to sell its Chrome browser.
Last month, Zuckerberg and Trump dined together at Mar-a-Lago, just a few months after Trump had warned that he would seek to imprison Zuckerberg if he were reelected. Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, told reporters earlier this month that Zuckerberg is “very keen to play an active role” in shaping Trump’s tech policies.
Other big names in business watched Trump ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange earlier this month on the same day he was named Time’s Person of the Year.
Onlookers reportedly included Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser, Target CEO Brian Cornell, Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, and Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg.