Leaked List Reveals Apple, Nvidia, and Other Corporate Giants' $333M Pledge for Trump's Ballroom

Apple and Nvidia each pledged $25 million towards Donald Trump's White House ballroom, joining some of America's biggest corporate names in a $333 million fundraising drive.

An investigation by The Washington Post, based on an internal donor spreadsheet, identified companies and wealthy individuals whose contributions coincided with government contracts, regulatory decisions, and, in one case, a presidential pardon for a donor's father.

The records detail when contributions were committed, which donors sought anonymity, and how the money was routed through a nonprofit into a White House account controlled by the President. Note that the investigation did not establish that the donations influenced government decisions.

The fundraising campaign has drawn scrutiny because many contributors have business interests before the federal government, highlighting an unprecedented intersection of corporate money, government decisions, and presidential discretion.

The White House criticised the leak and said it would pursue those responsible, according to The Washington Post.

Corporate Donations Coincided With Major Government Approvals

Nvidia had asked for its $25 million contribution to remain anonymous. CEO Jensen Huang had previously acknowledged the company's support for the project but did not disclose the amount.

The donation came nearly three months after Nvidia reached an agreement with the Trump administration allowing it to sell advanced chips to China, despite national security concerns.

Several other entries reveal similar overlaps between donations and companies' dealings with federal agencies. For instance, a subsidiary of housing and finance company Rocket pledged $10 million to the ballroom three weeks after the Federal Housing Finance Agency approved Rocket's acquisition of mortgage lender Mr. Cooper.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff reportedly pledged $1 million, followed by two separate $1 million commitments from the company, and between those commitments, the US Army awarded Salesforce a contract worth up to $5.6 billion through 2035.

Software company ServiceNow also pledged $5 million after the General Services Administration announced an agreement making its AI-driven software available to federal agencies at a discount.

Major corporate donors also included Amazon, Microsoft, Comcast, Caterpillar, and T-Mobile, while cryptocurrency companies and their investors pledged over $18 million.

Banker Pardoned After Daughter Pledged $2.5 Million

One of the most striking entries concerns Isabela Herrera, daughter of international banker Julio Herrera Velutini, who was indicted in 2022 on bribery charges linked to an alleged effort to influence Puerto Rico's government.

After Trump's 2024 election victory, Isabela Herrera donated $3.5 million to MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump political action committee. The Campaign Legal Center subsequently filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging that she acted as a 'straw donor' for her father.

In August 2025, Herrera Velutini's charges were reduced to a misdemeanour under a plea agreement. The following month, his daughter pledged $2.5 million towards the ballroom, paying an initial instalment of $835,000 on 14th October 2025.

Trump pardoned Herrera Velutini in January 2026. The records show that a second payment from his daughter was due in October.

Trump also pardoned the former Puerto Rico governor and political consultant involved in the case. The White House said the prosecutions were politically motivated.

Ballroom Donor's Company Saw Investigation Dropped

Another major contributor was billionaire Charles Ergen, co-founder of Dish Network and chairman of its parent company, EchoStar.

In May 2025, Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr informed Ergen that the agency had opened an investigation into EchoStar's compliance with commitments to upgrade its mobile network. Carr warned that government licences critical to the business could be at risk.

Ergen met Trump and Carr in June to discuss the matter, according to a Bloomberg report. EchoStar later said Trump encouraged the parties to reach an amicable resolution.

The FCC dropped the investigation in September 2025. Ergen subsequently committed $12.5 million to the ballroom in December and another $12.5 million in February 2026. The records show that he requested anonymity for the donations.

Ballroom Donations Mechanism is Unlike Regular Political Donations

The leaked spreadsheet recorded 67 donations exceeding $10,000 as of late September, with the total reaching $333 million. The projected cost of the broader East Wing redevelopment, including the ballroom, office space, and an underground military facility, had risen to $600 million by March, with taxpayer money also covering part of the construction costs.

The contributions were routed through the Trust for the National Mall, a Washington-based nonprofit whose stated mission is to restore and preserve the National Mall and White House grounds. Nonprofits are generally not required to disclose their donors publicly.

A 12-page agreement between the government and the Trust requires it to maintain donor anonymity to the extent permitted by law and prohibits public recognition without written authorisation from staff in the White House's Executive Residence unit.

The arrangement allows donations to reach a White House account directly controlled by the president, unlike ordinary political contributions, which are subject to campaign finance disclosure rules.