The White House ballroom finally has a guest list, and it reads like a Nasdaq-100 roll call. A Washington Post investigation published on October 15, 2026, named the major donors behind Donald Trump’s ballroom project and how much each one gave.
Nvidia and Apple sit at the top with $25 million apiece. Google’s parent Alphabet follows at $22 million. Microsoft, Amazon and Meta also count among the tech contributors to the build.
Who paid, and how much
According to the Post’s findings, the project had drawn $333 million in private commitments as of late September 2026. Those pledges came from 67 donors, each of whom gave more than $10,000.
More than three-quarters of the total came from gifts of $5 million or larger.
Nvidia’s and Apple’s $25 million contributions are the largest disclosed donations. Google’s $22 million comes with an asterisk. It was tied to a settlement of a lawsuit Trump had filed over his ban from YouTube.
The Trust for the National Mall handled the collection of the donations.
The crypto contingent
Crypto made a visible showing. Donations from the sector topped $18 million, according to the Post’s figures.
The standout entry belongs to Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. The twins contributed $5,050,018, paid in Bitcoin.
A price tag that keeps climbing
The project has grown more expensive as it has moved forward. Total costs could escalate to as high as $600 million.
Earlier estimates put the figure between $200 million and $400 million.
Work has already reshaped the White House grounds. Demolition of the East Wing began in 2025 as part of the effort.
Measured against the $600 million upper estimate, the $333 million pledged so far covers a little more than half.
What this means
The scrutiny centers on who is writing the checks. Many contributors operate in sectors facing regulatory challenges or hold government contracts.
Google’s contribution sharpens that debate. When a settlement payment becomes a donation to a project associated with the person who sued, the line between legal resolution and political gift gets blurry.
The Bitcoin payment also adds a practical wrinkle. A donation made in crypto raises questions about valuation, custody and conversion that a dollar wire does not. The Trust for the National Mall’s handling of that gift is a detail worth watching as scrutiny grows.
For now, the donor list puts exact dollar figures next to corporate names, and those figures are now part of the public record.
Disclosure: This article was edited by John Chen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.