A New York Times investigation has detailed how Donald Trump’s second-term presidency pulled in almost $2 billion in 2025, with several donors later gaining access or benefits from the administration. Among the more than 300 wealthy donors, at least six are Indian-origin Americans, many of them leading some of the world’s biggest technology companies.
On the other hand, the Trump administration has denied any quid pro quo, insisting that donations had no role in shaping policy decisions.
Fundraising that never stopped after Trump returned to power
Presidents typically slow down fundraising after winning a second term. Trump did the opposite. According to the investigation, Trump is the only second-term US president to keep raising money aggressively after returning to the office. His fundraising totals nearly $2 billion.
Much of this money was routed through multiple channels, including MAGA Inc, Trump’s super PAC, his record-breaking inaugural committee, and special projects such as the White House ballroom. Trump’s finance operation is led by Meredith O’Rourke, and several people familiar with the process told The New York Times that Trump personally tracks who donates and how much.
Indian-origin donors inside Trump’s billionaire circle
The NYT investigation identified 346 donors who gave at least $250,000 each. Among them were six Indian-origin individuals, most of whom are leaders in the tech industry. The NYT reports that at least 197 of these top donors later benefited from actions taken by the Trump administration.
- Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, emerged as the biggest Indian-origin contributor. Microsoft donated $3.5 million. Nadella has met Trump multiple times, including a White House AI dinner on September 4, 2025, and a UK state banquet.
- Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO, donated $1.2 million. The administration also settled a lawsuit Trump had filed against Google after the company agreed to fund Trump’s ballroom project with $24.5 million.
- Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe, donated $1 million. Like other tech executives, he was invited to exclusive dinners.
- Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO of Micron Technology, gave $1 million. His company benefited from Trump-era policies that strongly backed US-based chipmakers.
- Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM, donated $750,000 and also gained access to Trump’s inner donor circle.
- Outside Big Tech, Anjani Sinha, a Patna-born orthopaedic surgeon who has lived in the US since the 1970s, donated $1 million. He was later nominated as the US Ambassador to Singapore.
While Trump has openly welcomed donations from tech leaders, the NYT notes a clear contradiction. At the same time, his administration has been pushing to dismantle the H-1B visa programme, which US tech companies heavily rely on to hire foreign talent.
The report says donors who gave $1 million or more were rewarded with exclusive access, including invitations to private fundraising dinners and even opportunities to travel abroad with Trump.