An Inside Look at the $300 Million White House Ballroom Construction
The construction of a luxurious 90,000-square-foot ballroom at the White House is no small feat. With an escalating price tag now surpassing $300 million, the President has made it clear that taxpayers will not be footing the bill.
Instead, the cost is being covered by a group of 37 private donors. These donors include some of the most powerful tech companies in the country, companies with government contracts, and members of the administration. They are making tax-deductible contributions to a nonprofit named Trust for the National Mall. In a surprising twist, the President's name does not appear on the list, despite his earlier pledge to fund part of the project.
The Corporate Donors
Among the donors are several tech giants, defense contractors, and other corporations. These include a company founded by a prominent tech entrepreneur, which has significant contracts with the Pentagon, a popular social media platform, and a search engine titan that recently settled a dispute with the President. A well-known defense contractor, a software provider with federal contracts, and a media company facing the President's scrutiny are also contributing. A tobacco company, a crypto exchange platform, a data analytics company, and a telecommunications giant are also on the list, along with a blockchain payments network, a casino and hotel brand, a crypto stablecoin issuer, a freight transportation company, a chip manufacturer, a heavy machinery manufacturer, a defense and cybersecurity contractor, a computer hardware maker, a renewable energy utility, and a tobacco conglomerate.
The Private and Family Donors
Private contributions are also making up a significant portion of the funding. These include donations from philanthropic foundations, investors, and individuals with connections to the President. Notable among these are a family foundation run by a casino mogul's widow, an industrial metals investor, a charitable organization funded by a pharmaceutical heiress, a couple involved in financial technology, two sporting tycoons, an oil billionaire, a healthcare entrepreneur and philanthropist, a family led by a Secretary of Commerce, the former CEO of a famous entertainment company, a CEO who served as a go-between with China, a Russian-born American investor, a former U.S. senator and her stock exchange CEO husband, a construction-tech entrepreneur, two early Bitcoin billionaires, and a couple involved in the sugar industry.
Funding a Vision
Despite the hefty price tag, the President and the donors insist that the construction of the ballroom is a necessary addition to the People's House. It's an embodiment of the American ideals that they work to defend every day. In the end, this isn't just about funding a construction project. It's about investing in a vision for the future and contributing to a symbol of American strength and unity.