Nvidia and Apple pledge $25 million each for the new ballroom initiated by Donald Trump

Nvidia and Apple have each committed $25 million to the construction of the new White House ballroom, a project initiated by President Donald Trump, according to The Washington Post. Private commitments announced so far total $333 million, although Reuters notes that it has not independently verified the information.

Donors include the Adelson family and billionaire Charles Ergen, who have also pledged $25 million each. Federal contractors Lockheed Martin, Microsoft and Palantir Technologies have each committed $10 million. Approximately half of the total comes from companies or executives of firms that had contracts with the federal government during Trump’s second term.

The White House has not published the full list of donors and rejects allegations of conflicts of interest. Transparency organizations, however, warn that private funding may facilitate access to the administration.

The project is estimated to cost $400 million, will cover approximately 8,360 square meters and will be able to accommodate around 1,000 people. Work began after the historic East Wing of the White House was demolished, and the Supreme Court recently allowed construction to continue, although Chief Justice John Roberts said the project is likely illegal.