President Donald Trump’s inauguration fund has shattered the previous record with a staggering $239 million in donations from corporate donors eager to curry favor with the president-elect. The fundraising effort, led by the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, set a new standard for inaugural funds.
The top donors included tech giants Meta, Amazon, and Google, which each contributed $1 million. Other notable contributors were Pilgrim’s poultry producer, which gave $5 million, and Ripple Inc., a crypto company, which donated nearly as much. JP Morgan Chase, Delta Air Lines, and Target also made significant contributions.
However, it appears that the relationship between Trump and corporate donors may not be reciprocal. Despite their substantial donations, many tech billionaires have seen their companies’ market value plummet due to Trump’s trade policies. Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft have collectively lost trillions of dollars since January.
In contrast, executives who made large donations received prime seats at the inauguration ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda. Nevertheless, former Federal Communications Commission officials suggest that this “flattery” may not have yielded any tangible benefits for donors. The 2025 inaugural committee has not disclosed how much money was spent on Trump’s inauguration weekend, but it is unclear whether the funds will be redirected to other projects, including a presidential library.
Source: https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trumps-239-million-inauguration-was-officially-the-biggest-presidential-suck-up-in-history