US President Donald Trump raised a staggering $239 million for his January 20 inauguration — more than double the amount he received for his first swearing-in in 2017. The record-breaking figure was revealed in a recent Federal Election Commission filing.
Major corporations such as Airbnb, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and JPMorgan Chase each contributed millions, with several donating over $1 million. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was also among the high-profile donors, giving $1 million.
This massive haul far exceeds the $107 million raised for Trump’s 2017 inauguration and dwarfs the $61 million Democrat Joe Biden received for his in 2021.
The $239 million figure excludes over $6 million in donations that were later refunded. Inaugural committees are legally required to report all contributions of $200 or more, and foreign nationals are barred from donating.
The January ceremony was attended by about a dozen billionaires, with their combined net worth reportedly nearing $1 trillion — roughly equal to Switzerland’s GDP. Notable attendees included Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Google’s Sundar Pichai, Apple’s Tim Cook, and Tesla’s Elon Musk.
AFP
