Nvidia and Apple each committed $25 million, the top amount, to President Donald Trump's White House ballroom, according to an internal fundraising spreadsheet obtained by The Washington Post. Donations pass through the Trust for the National Mall, a nonprofit generally not required to disclose donors, into a White House account the president directly controls. Companies or executives of firms that had federal contracts during Trump's second term accounted for about half the $333 million recorded as of late September.

Trump does not appear on the list despite saying last year, days after demolition began on the old East Wing, it was being paid for “a hundred percent by me and some friends of mine.”

The reporting does not establish a connection between donations and any favorable government action. The list excludes in-kind contributions.

Key Takeaways

AI-generated summary, reviewed by an editor. More on our AI guidelines.

Donor commitments

The list recorded 67 donations above $10,000. Cisco and ServiceNow confirmed $5 million gifts; Microsoft and Meta declined comment. Apple, Amazon and Palantir did not comment.

Microsoft and Palantir committed $10 million each, matching Lockheed Martin. Meta, Amazon and T-Mobile had $5 million commitments apiece. $22 million from Google's 2025 settlement of Trump's YouTube-suspension lawsuit was directed to the ballroom. HP and Micron committed $2.5 million each; the Adelson family and Dish Network co-founder Charles Ergen, $25 million each.

Nvidia's anonymity request

Nvidia became a top contributor in October 2025, nearly three months after its export-license deal to sell advanced chips to China, under licenses stipulating the U.S. government would take 15% of its China AI-chip sales revenue. CEO Jensen Huang said it was contributing “in a small way.” Nvidia requested anonymity and was not among the 37 donors the White House named without amounts that October.

“As an American company, our support for the United States is paramount, and independent of any business interests,” Nvidia spokesperson John Rizzo said. “We were proud to be able to make a donation to a nonpartisan trust that serves all Americans and have said so publicly since the donation was made.”

The Trust's 2025 tax filing lists three unnamed $25 million gifts. Before the spreadsheet surfaced, Public Citizen could identify only Apple and the Adelson Family Foundation among them.

Government business

Salesforce's $2 million comprised commitments on December 24, 2025, and January 29, 2026. CEO Marc Benioff separately committed $1 million in October 2025. Between December 24 and January 29, the Army awarded it a contract worth up to $5.6 billion through 2035. A Pentagon official said: “Outside affiliations, investors, or political connections play absolutely no role in the Department's funding decisions.”

ServiceNow committed its gift in October 2025, a month after the GSA announced a “landmark” agreement that would make its AI-driven software available to federal agencies at a discount. Its government business is “separate and unconnected to any donations we make to any cause,” it said.

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AT&T's $5 million was the only entry marked “pledged.” Every other amount was marked “won.” Spokesperson Megan Ketterer said the company appeared to have been listed in error. “We have no idea what list you are talking about and have no plans to contribute to the Trust for the National Mall.”

“The same critics who are alleging fake conflicts of interests, would also complain if American taxpayers were footing the bill for these long-overdue renovations,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said.

Funding shortfall

The recorded total falls short of the $400 million Trump has said he intends to raise. A March projection put the cost of building the new East Wing, including the ballroom, office space and an underground military facility, at $600 million. Taxpayer dollars have covered some construction.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Dave Min asked the CEOs of Nvidia, Meta, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon about donation timing and government business. They wrote that giving to influence decisions “could run afoul of federal bribery law.”

Ingle said the administration will “relentlessly pursue those responsible for this cowardly leak while continuing to protect all those who give.”

Frequently Asked Questions

How much did Nvidia and Apple commit to Trump's ballroom?

Each committed $25 million, the top amount on an internal fundraising spreadsheet covering 67 donations above $10,000 that totaled $333 million as of late September. The Adelson family and Dish Network co-founder Charles Ergen also committed $25 million each.

How does the ballroom money reach the White House?

Donations pass through the Trust for the National Mall, a nonprofit generally not required to disclose donors, into a White House account the president directly controls. The list excludes in-kind contributions.

Did Nvidia want its donation made public?

Nvidia requested anonymity and was not among the 37 donors the White House named in October 2025. Nvidia spokesperson John Rizzo said its support is "independent of any business interests" and that the company has "said so publicly since the donation was made."

Do the documents show that donors received government favors?

The reporting does not establish a connection between donations and any favorable government action. Salesforce won an Army contract worth up to $5.6 billion between its December 24 and January 29 commitments, and a Pentagon official said political connections "play absolutely no role" in the department's funding decisions.

How does the money raised compare with the ballroom's cost?

The $333 million falls short of the $400 million Trump has said he intends to raise. A March projection put the cost of building the new East Wing, including the ballroom, at $600 million, and taxpayer dollars have covered some construction.

AI-generated summary, reviewed by an editor. More on our AI guidelines.

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Editor-in-Chief and founder of Implicator.ai. Former ARD correspondent and senior broadcast journalist with 10+ years covering tech. Writes daily briefings on policy and market developments. Based in San Francisco. E-mail: editor@implicator.ai