Big Tech and Billionaires Fund Lavish White House Ballroom for Trump A list of donors funding a new 90,000 square foot ballroom at the White House has been made public, revealing a who is who of corporate America and the ultra wealthy. Major technology companies including Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft are all contributing significant sums to the project. They are joined by defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Palantir, as well as prominent billionaires such as the Winklevoss twins and Domino Sugar magnate José Fanjul. The extensive list highlights the deep connections between the donor class and the highest levels of government. This concentration of donors with federal business interests has raised significant ethical questions. Columbia law professor Richard Briffault noted that most of these entities have done significant business with the government. He suggested the donations are a way of greasing the system, creating a situation that is quasi-coercive, where the expectation of favorable treatment, or the fear of unfavorable treatment, motivates the giving. Noah Bookbinder, of the ethics watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, called the situation extraordinarily unusual and deeply disturbing. He pointed out that Donald Trump has a clear history of appreciating people who pay tribute to him and subsequently taking actions that benefit those same people. The fundraising efforts have been personal and direct. President Trump recently hosted a dinner in the White House East Room for top donors to the ballroom project. He has also held meetings at the White House and at his private club in Virginia to solicit funds for the construction. This is not the first time corporate giants have pooled resources for Trump. Many of the same companies were major donors to his inauguration, and Apple CEO Tim Cook once famously gifted him a 24 karat gold statue. The ballroom project itself has already been mired in controversy. Americans were recently surprised to learn that the East Wing of the White House had been completely demolished to make way for the new structure, despite earlier promises that the historic building would not be touched. As the lavish ballroom moves forward, its funding has drawn a sharp contrast with other national issues. The event comes at a time when food stamp benefits for millions of Americans are set to expire and the price of basic goods like beef continues to climb.
