Google has pledged $1 million to Donald Trump's inaugural fund, joining other tech firms and executives who have made substantial donations ahead of the president-elect's return to the White House.
The company confirmed the contribution to Politico on Thursday. The $1 million donation more than triples the $285,000 given to Trump's previous inauguration fund, Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show.
Newsweek has contacted Google for comment on the donation.
Why It Matters
Google is the latest tech giant to contribute significantly to Trump's inaugural fund, joining companies like Amazon, Meta, and Apple in making substantial donations.
Many have viewed this swelling financial support, and the recent visits made by multiple tech executives to Trump's residence in Florida, as an attempt to curry favor with the incoming president.
According to the New York Times, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and cofounder Sergey Brin—who in 2017 joined those protesting Trump's immigration policies—met the president-elect at Mar-a-Lago in December, followed by Apple CEO Tim Cook and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos . A few days before, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had dined with Trump, a spokesperson for the company confirmed to the BBC.
What is the Inaugural Fund?
The Presidential Inaugural Fund is a private fund established to finance events related to the inauguration of a U.S. president. This includes activities such as the inaugural parade, balls, and other celebratory events following the official swearing-in ceremony.
It is typically funded by donations from individuals, corporations, and organizations, as there is no direct government funding for these festivities. Trump's previous inaugural fund brought in just under $107 million, FEC filings show. Donations made to the fund have often been taken as a reflection of the contributors' support for an incoming administration.
What To Know
Alongside Google, Meta and Amazon have both pledged $1 million donations to the inaugural fund, Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly planning to match this amount. On Thursday, a spokesperson for Microsoft confirmed to the Washington Examiner that the company planned to donate the same amount, double its contribution to the 2017 inauguration.
Sam Altman, cofounder and CEO of artificial intelligence research firm OpenAI, has similarly pledged a $1 million "personal donation," a spokesperson for the company told Newsweek on Friday.
When asked about the motivations for this donation in a recent Bloomberg interview, Altman—who in the past has been heavily critical of Trump—said: "He's the president of the United States. I support any president."
Contributions have not been limited to the tech sector, with Ford last month pledging $1 million (quadruple its 2017 donation) and a fleet of vehicles to support the inauguration.
Newsweek has reached out to the Trump transition team for comment on the high levels of support being demonstrated by tech executives.
What People Are Saying
Karan Bhatia, Google's global head of government affairs and public policy, in a statement to CNBC: "Google is pleased to support the 2025 inauguration, with a livestream on YouTube and a direct link on our homepage. We're also donating to the inaugural committee."
President-elect Donald Trump, in response to a reporter's question on his meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook: "One of the big differences between the first term, the first term, everybody was fighting me. In this term, everybody wants to be my friend. I don't know. My personality changed or something."
What Happens Next?
According to ABC, citing an anonymous official with knowledge of the matter, Trump's inaugural committee has already raked in a record $170 million in donations, and is on track to surpass $200 million by the time the president-elect is sworn in.
Newsweek has reached out to the Trump transition team for comment on the figure.
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