Trump’s 2025 Inauguration Raises Record $239 Million, Backed by Big Tech and Billionaires
Former U.S. President Donald Trump raised a staggering $239 million for his January 2025 inauguration, setting a new record for inaugural fundraising, according to a Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing released Sunday.
The sum more than doubles the $107 million raised for Trump’s first inauguration in 2017, and far surpasses the $61 million brought in by President Joe Biden for his 2021 swearing-in.
Donations poured into the Trump Vance Inaugural Committee from a range of high-profile corporate backers, including Amazon, Meta, JP Morgan Chase, Airbnb, Microsoft, and McDonald’s — with several companies contributing $1 million or more.
Tech leaders also played a prominent role. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman personally donated $1 million, while Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Google’s Sundar Pichai, Apple’s Tim Cook, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk were all present at the ceremony on January 20.
Estimates on social media suggest the combined net worth of the billionaires attending the event was close to $1 trillion — approximately the size of Switzerland’s GDP.
The $239 million reported does not include over $6 million in donations that were later refunded, according to the FEC.
Under U.S. law, inaugural committees must disclose all donations over $200, and foreign nationals are prohibited from contributing funds.
The presence of so many tech and financial industry leaders marked a sharp contrast to prior inaugurations and highlighted the increasing influence of Silicon Valley and Wall Street in American politics.
