Explosive new financial disclosures reveal how wealthy elites are literally buying face time with Donald Trump, according to a New York Times report Saturday.
A figures, shared in filings by MAGA Inc., a super PAC funding much of Donald Trump's political machine, exposes a stunning pay-to-play scheme operating at the highest levels of American government. The donor list reads like a who's who of crypto moguls, influence peddlers, and favor-seekers—all willing to write massive checks for a seat at Trump's table, the Times reported.
MAGA Inc. raked in a jaw-dropping $177 million in just the first half of 2025, with many top donors scoring coveted invitations to exclusive dinners at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.
The cryptocurrency industry alone dumped $45 million into Trump's coffers, according toTimes. Leading the charge were the Winklevoss twins, Tyler and Cameron — who operate a crypto exchange — collectively contributed $4 million to MAGA Inc.
Eric Schiermeyer, a crypto entrepreneur, ponied up $1 million for a Mar-a-Lago dinner in March where he pitched a government-backed cryptocurrency called "USA Token" that would be distributed to every American—with his company handling the lucrative contract, the report stated.
"I was able to say my piece, and the idea is clearly making the rounds, so mission accomplished from my view," Schiermeyer boasted to the Times.
The donor roster also features several individuals who mysteriously landed plum administration appointments shortly after cutting checks. Surgeon Anjani Sinha donated $1 million in February and was promptly nominated as ambassador to Singapore—though his confirmation hearing saw Sinha struggling to answer basic questions about the country he was supposed to represent.
Energy investor Cody Campbell paid $500,000 and secured a spot on the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, while finance executive Josh Lobel bought his way onto the President's Intelligence Advisory Board for $250,000.
Perhaps most disturbing is the case of Elizabeth Fago, who contributed $1 million and attended an April dinner with Trump. Just three weeks later, her son Paul Walczak—a healthcare executive who had pleaded guilty to tax fraud—received a presidential pardon.
An unnamed White House official claimed the pardon wasn't about the money: "He spoke directly to a mother who pleaded for her son, and when you're talking to a mother pleading for her son, that's a pretty powerful thing," the official told the Times.
A MAGA Inc. spokesperson told the Times, “President Trump values his supporters and donors, but unlike politicians before him, he cannot be bought and works toward the best interest of the country.”