White House Ballroom secret donor list revealed by The Washington Post-Who are the controversial donors backing Trump's $333 million project

Nvidia and Apple each pledged $25 million toward President Donald Trump’s planned White House ballroom, according to a Washington Post report detailing $333 million in private donations. The report has drawn attention to the companies and wealthy individuals funding the project, including donors with federal contracts and other interests before the government. It also found that millions of dollars came from donors who wanted to remain anonymous.

The White House has defended the fundraising effort but has declined to release a full list of donors publicly. Other inputs are taken from The Seattle Times, Reuters and The Daily Beast.

Who are the biggest donors to Trump's White House ballroom?

According to The Washington Post, Nvidia and Apple each committed $25 million to the ballroom project. The Adelson family, longtime financial supporters of Trump and the Republican Party, and billionaire Charles Ergen, co-founder and chairman of Dish Network, pledged the same amount.

Google contributed $22 million, while the Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Foundation donated more than $20 million. Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Palantir Technologies and RHI II LLC each gave $10 million. Comcast contributed $7.5 million.

Amazon, Meta, Cisco, T-Mobile, ServiceNow, Caterpillar, Altria Group, ExtremityCare and the Baszucki Gift Fund each donated $5 million. NextEra Energy contributed $4 million.

The crypto industry also provided $18.1 million, including $5.1 million from Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss and $5 million each from Ripple Labs and Coinbase.

Three major Seattle-area companies also feature prominently in the list. Microsoft donated $10 million, while Amazon and T-Mobile each contributed $5 million.

Microsoft previously said the project would serve future presidents as well as the current administration. T-Mobile said its contribution was part of a larger donation to the Trust for the National Mall and that it had no role in decisions about how the funds were used.

Nvidia said it supported a nonpartisan trust. "As an American company, our support for the United States is paramount, and independent of any business interests," a spokesperson said. Apple declined to comment.

Why is the secret donor list drawing scrutiny?

The Washington Post reported that private donors had contributed $333 million, including at least $77 million from people who requested anonymity. Its review also found that 67 donations exceeded $10,000, while smaller contributions included amounts as low as $10.

The report said the vast majority of the money came from companies and wealthy individuals with interests before the federal government. About half the total came from companies or executives whose firms had federal contracts during Trump's second term.

One donation has also drawn attention because of a family connection. Isabela Herrera pledged $2.5 million in total, with records showing an $835,000 first installment in October 2025. Her father, Venezuelan banker Herrera Velutini, received a presidential pardon in January, according to the report.

Trump initially said he and wealthy donors would cover the estimated $400 million ballroom project. He later sought $1 billion from Congress for an underground bunker and additional security features but that request was unsuccessful.

What has the White House said about the donations

White House spokesman Davis Ingle defended the donors and criticized the disclosure of internal records, as per The Daily Beast.

"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," Ingle told Reuters.

In a separate statement, he said the administration would pursue the person responsible for the leak.

"We will relentlessly pursue those responsible for this cowardly leak while continuing to protect all those who give," said spokesman Davis Ingle. "Instead, the Washington Post traffics in leaks from rogue employees, risking the reputation of a completely apolitical organization, in an effort to violate the privacy and free speech rights of American patriots who are generously donating their resources to Make America Great Again."

The ballroom, planned to cover 90,000 square feet and seat 1,000 guests, has also faced legal and public opposition. Critics argue that demolishing the historic East Wing to make room for the structure exceeded Trump's authority. In August, the Supreme Court allowed construction to continue while a legal challenge proceeds. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in dissent that the project was "likely unlawful."