'Access and influence': Trump charging millions to hobnob with him at Mar-a-Lago

President Donald Trump is charging guests millions of dollars for one-on-one meetings and dinners at Mar-a-Lago.

Business leaders are invited to pay $5 million to meet individually with the president, according to sources with direct knowledge, and guests spent $1 million each to reserve a seat at a candlelight dinner as recently as Saturday, according to an invitation obtained by WIRED.

“You are invited to a candlelight dinner featuring special guest President Donald J. Trump,” the invitation reads. “Additional details provided upon RSVP. RSVPs will be accommodated on a first come, first serve basis. Space is very limited. $1,000,000 per person.”

The invitations came under a header for MAGA Inc., referring to the super PAC Make America Great Again Inc., and RSVPs were directed to Meredith O’Rourke, the national finance director and senior advisor at Donald J. Trump for President 2024 campaign committee.

Invitees were also directed to mail Abby Mathis, the finance coordinator at MAGA Inc. and a former staff assistant to Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).

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“Donald J. Trump is appearing at this event only as a featured speaker, and is not asking for funds or donations," the invitation states.

The event was listed on the president's official schedule as the “MAGA INC. Candlelight Finance Dinner," and WIRED viewed photos and videos of Elon Musk and his son at Mar-a-Lago the following day at a charity event hosted by a group called Wine Women & Shoes that also featured Trump.

It's not clear where the millions are going, but one source with direct knowledge of the dinners said “it’s all going to the library,” meaning Trump's presidential library.

The candlelight dinners were known to have been held before Trump's inauguration but had not been previously reported while he was in office.

“I can’t recall a sitting president in the first weeks of his administration asking for millions of dollars in fundraising,” said Don Moynihan, a professor of public policy at the University of Michigan. “The concern is less about fundraising, and more about access and influence … People hoping to get favorable treatment view it in their interest to donate money to Trump.”

“Part of what is worrying,” Moynihan added, “is the lack of ethical guardrails in the current Trump administration, where there doesn’t seem to be a clear line between Trump’s businesses and the presidency.”