Biggest donors to Trump's White House ballroom are mostly tech and telecom firms

The Washington Post on October 15 published a list of the major donors to the White House ballroom that US President Donald Trump is building. It shows that more than $183 million came mainly from technology, telecommunications and cryptocurrency companies. Such donations are not subject to public disclosure or campaign finance rules, which makes the list unusual.

The largest donors

The biggest pledges, $25 million each, came from chipmaker NVIDIA, technology company Apple and billionaire Charles Ergen, co-founder of satellite TV company Dish Network. According to the article's author, NVIDIA and Dish have benefited considerably from government policy during Trump's second term, while Apple has sought the president's favor to avoid tariffs.

Microsoft, Meta, Palantir, Google, Amazon and Cisco have each given millions as well. Many of these companies also helped fund Trump's 2025 inauguration. Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson contributed $25 million, and BlackRock, Lockheed Martin, Gemini and Coinbase also gave millions.

Another $77 million cannot be traced to a source. The money is channeled to a nonprofit that the president directly controls. Trump himself does not appear on the list, although he has repeatedly promised to help pay for the project, once saying it was being paid for entirely by him and some friends. The Post found that taxpayers could end up covering about half of the cost. The expected budget recently rose to $600 million. The ballroom is being built where the White House's East Wing was demolished.

Possible links to officials

Several donors stand out. Joseph Popolo Jr. gave $1 million right after being chosen as ambassador to the Netherlands, but did not report the donation. Cabinet member Kelly Loeffler and her husband pledged $5 million. Brandon Lutnick, son of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, gave stock worth more than $2.5 million.

Isabela Herrera donated $2.5 million, making a first installment of $835,000 in October 2025. Her father, international banker Herrera Velutini, was indicted by the Justice Department on bribery charges and pleaded guilty. Trump pardoned him in January.

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle expressed frustration over the publication and vowed the administration would "relentlessly pursue those responsible for this cowardly leak while continuing to protect all those who give." He added that reporters are looking for "fake conflicts of interest."