Samsung Electronics donated $315,000 to U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony in January, newly released data from the U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC) showed.
The donation was made through its U.S. subsidiary, Samsung Electronics America, on Jan. 13. It follows a $1 million contribution from Hyundai Motor via its North American unit, which had previously been reported. Hyundai’s donation was seen as part of a broader effort to align with major U.S. and global automakers such as General Motors, Ford, Toyota and Stellantis.
U.S. inauguration committees are permitted to accept donations from domestic individuals and companies ahead of the presidential inauguration. The FEC is required to disclose those records within 90 days of the event. Funds raised typically go toward inauguration events and legacy projects such as libraries and museums.
Trump’s 2025 inauguration committee raised a record $239 million, the highest total ever for a U.S. president-elect, according to the FEC filings. Major technology firms including Amazon, Nvidia, Google and Meta each contributed $1 million, as did AI firms such as Perplexity AI, chipmakers Micron and Qualcomm. Apple CEO Tim Cook and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also donated $1 million each in a personal capacity.
The strong presence of Big Tech leaders at the Jan. 20 Capitol Hill ceremony drew attention, with many seated ahead of cabinet nominees.
Other notable contributions included $2 million from trading app Robinhood and $1 million each from cryptocurrency companies Coinbase and Solana. Wall Street firms JPMorgan Chase, BlackRock, Blackstone, private equity firm KKR, and investment bank Goldman Sachs also made $1 million donations. Telecom giants AT&T, Comcast and Verizon followed suit, alongside Chevron, ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum, and pharmaceutical companies Merck and Pfizer.
Among individual donors, Miriam Adelson — widow of late casino magnate Sheldon Adelson — gave $1 million. Jared Isaacman, nominated by Trump to lead NASA, contributed $2 million, while Linda McMahon, tapped as education secretary, gave $1 million. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent donated $250,000. Investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald, founded by Trump’s commerce secretary pick Howard Lutnick, donated $1.047 million in honor of the “47th president.”
From South Korea, Hyundai Motor donated $1 million on Jan. 6 via its North American unit. Samsung followed with its $315,000 donation a week later. Hanwha made two separate $500,000 contributions through U.S. subsidiaries Hanwha Defense USA and Qcells North America in December and January, respectively.
Because foreign entities are barred from directly donating to U.S. inaugural committees, contributions were made via local subsidiaries.
Hanwha Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan attended the inauguration and a VIP candlelight dinner the night before the ceremony. Coupang Inc., the U.S.-based parent of South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang, donated $1 million in December. Coupang’s founder, Bom Kim, a U.S. citizen, also attended the inauguration.
Annie Chan, a Korean American entrepreneur and head of the Korean Conservative Political Action Conference (KCPAC), contributed $200,000.
