WASHINGTON, DC — Today, The Tech Oversight Project blasted Big Tech companies for bankrolling President Trump’s White House ballroom after a bombshell Washington Post investigation revealed the full list of major donors to the project, with analysis showing tech companies and their executives committed more than $126 million of the $333 million raised, far more than any other industry:

“Big Tech giants didn’t just chip in for Trump’s ballroom – they bankrolled it fully expecting a return on their investment. The same companies funding Trump’s vanity project lined up for tax breaks, chip deals, federal contracts, and a blind eye to lawbreaking. Under Donald Trump, there’s a two-tiered justice system. Big Tech plays by a different set of rules because they bought their way in. When Democrats take back gavels in January, they need to investigate Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon, OpenAI, and others for potentially breaking the law to buy get-out-of-jail-free passes and sweetheart deals in exchange for their donation,” said Sacha Haworth, Executive Director of The Tech Oversight Project.

Key revelations from the Post’s reporting:

• Tech gave more than any other industry. Tech companies and executives account for more than $126 million in ballroom donations. That puts them ahead of finance, crypto, telecom, defense, and every other sector.
• Nvidia and Apple gave the most. Each committed $25 million, the largest amount on the list. Nvidia gave nearly three months after striking a deal with Trump to sell advanced microchips to China despite national security concerns, then asked that its donation be kept anonymous.
• Big Tech companies gave big across the board. Microsoft and Palantir committed $10 million each. Amazon, Meta, Cisco, and ServiceNow gave $5 million each. Another $22 million came from Google’s settlement of Trump’s lawsuit about his YouTube suspension.
• Salesforce’s checks bracketed a record contract. Marc Benioff personally committed $1 million, anonymously, the day after Trump praised him at a business summit in Japan. Salesforce then made two $1 million commitments. Between those two commitments, the Army awarded the company a contract worth up to $5.6 billion through 2035, which the Pentagon said drew only one bid.
• Crypto bought in after deregulation. Crypto companies and investors promised more than $18 million, and now operate under looser rules after Trump signed the deregulatory so-called “Genius” Act in July 2025.
• They wanted to keep it all secret from the American public. At least $77 million came from donors who asked to remain anonymous. The money flows through a nonprofit that doesn’t have to disclose donors, into a White House account the president directly controls. Trump’s top campaign fundraiser, Meredith O’Rourke, is listed as the main contact on the pledge form.

Read more:

• Tech Oversight Project/Morning Consult Poll: Majority of Americans Question Trump’s Cozy Relationship with Big Tech (January 12, 2026): By a two-to-one margin, voters say the Trump Administration is too close to Big Tech.
• WSJ – Inside Big Tech’s Multi-Million-Dollar Bid to Buy Trump’s Favor (July 31, 2026): Key investigation into how Trump personally turns corporate donations into government favors.