Nvidia and Cisco confirm multimillion-dollar donations to Trump's White House ballroom
Big Tech gave millions to Trump's White House ballroom, documents show
Key points
- Nvidia and Cisco confirmed multimillion-dollar donations to Trump's White House ballroom renovation.
- Nvidia and Apple each pledged $25 million, while Cisco and ServiceNow gave $5 million each.
- Lawmakers have raised concerns about potential influence on policy and federal contracts.
Technology companies Nvidia and Cisco have confirmed donations to President Donald Trump's White House ballroom renovation project, CNBC reported on Thursday. Nvidia and Apple each pledged $25 million, according to a Washington Post report. Cisco and ServiceNow each confirmed $5 million donations.
The Post reported that total donations exceeded $330 million. Other major donors included Amazon, Palantir, Meta Platforms and Microsoft. The donations were sent through a nonprofit trust, and donors received a pledge form for the "Donald J. Trump Ballroom."
What the companies said
An Nvidia spokesperson told CNBC that the company's support for the United States is independent of any business interests. The spokesperson said Nvidia was proud to donate to a nonpartisan trust serving all Americans.
ServiceNow stated that its business with the U.S. government is separate from its donations. The company said any attempt to connect the two is "wholly inaccurate." Microsoft and Meta declined to comment, while several other listed donors did not immediately respond.
As an American company, our support for the United States is paramount, and independent of any business interests.
— Nvidia spokesperson
Concerns and context
Lawmakers and experts have repeatedly criticized the project and sought information on the private donors. Some have raised concerns about potential influence on policy decisions or federal contract awards.
Tech leaders have generally supported Trump's pro-business approach to antitrust and regulation. Some companies have won hundreds of millions in contracts for AI infrastructure and defense during his second term. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang have been regulars at Washington events, including a White House AI luncheon on Sept. 29. The Post reported 67 contributions above $10,000 as of late September.
