Nicki Minaj and Donald Trump
X/ Nicki Minaj

Rapper Nicki Minaj has pledged up to $300,000 (£243,000) to fund investment accounts for her fans' children. Then she told the crowd at the Treasury Department summit on Wednesday that she was 'probably the president's number one fan'.

The Grammy-nominated 'Super Bass' rapper made the announcement at Washington's Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium alongside President Donald Trump, who called her 'the greatest and most successful female rapper in history' before inviting her onstage.

'Nicki makes a lot of money, and she's generously stepping up. She's investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in Trump Accounts to support the children, and really, children of her incredible fans,' Investopedia quoted Trump as saying.

The all-day event was meant to promote 'Trump Accounts', a child savings programme baked into the president's tax legislation last summer. Under the scheme, dubbed the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act', the Treasury deposits $1,000 (£810) into an investment account for every American baby born between January 2025 and December 2028. Parents opt in when they file taxes.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said 600,000 families had already signed up since tax season opened on Monday. That's out of roughly 25 million who are eligible. Besides the corporate donors and celebrities, Bessent added that he expect states to be making donations to the fund as well.

Big Money Piles In

Trump Accounts
X/ The Treasury Department

Minaj wasn't the only one writing cheques; companies with deep pockets were also eager to pitch in.

According to ABC News, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, BlackRock, and Charles Schwab have all committed to matching the government's $1,000 for their employees' kids. Intel, Nvidia, and Charter Communications also made similar pledges.

The biggest pledge of support came from Michael Dell. The tech billionaire and his wife, Susan, announced in December that they would pump $6.25 billion (£5.06 billion) into the programme, enough to seed accounts for 25 million children. Their money goes to kids aged 10 and under in postcodes where the median income falls below $150,000 (£121,000). Basically, families whose children were born too early to qualify for the Treasury's $1,000.

Parents can add up to $5,000 (£4,050) a year. Employers can chip in another $2,500 (£2,025). The catch: the money has to stay invested until the child turns 18.

'It Motivates Me to Support Him More'

Minaj didn't hold back when she took the microphone. She told the crowd that criticism only made her want to back Trump harder. 'The hate or what people have to say, it does not affect me at all. It actually motivates me to support him more,' she said, according to WCNC. The two posed for photos afterwards, holding hands. The image went everywhere.

In a statement to the New York Post, Minaj said she wanted her fans - she calls them the Barbz - to raise 'healthy and successful children'. She called motherhood 'the greatest thing that's ever happened to me'. She didn't say how she'd pick which fans get the money.

The accounts go live on 4 July 2026, timed to America's 250th birthday. Trump called the programme 'one of the most transformative policy innovations of all time' and predicted even modest contributions could grow to $50,000 (£40,500) by the time a child turns 18.

Kevin O'Leary from Shark Tank also showed up. He spoke briefly before Minaj grabbed the spotlight.