Donald Trump’s first day as president may have been short on A-list celebs, but when it comes to big checks, Trump’s inauguration really was the biggest ever, period.
A 510-page disclosure report, filed with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday, showed casino magnate Sheldon Adelson ponied up a whopping $5 million to pay for the festivities, the largest single contribution ever given to an inauguration, according to a New York Times report.
Adelson wasn’t the only one to offer up a multi-million dollar donation. Other wealthy contributors included New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, billionaire investors Steven Cohen and Charles Schwab, and Robert Parsons, the founder of GoDaddy.com.
While previous administrations have set a cap of $250,000 per individual donations, Trump’s committee set much looser restrictions, according to the Times, bringing in $107 million, twice the previous fundraising record set by Barack Obama in 2009.
In exchange for their generosity, donors were rewarded with VIP invitations to a host of posh private events in the week leading up to the inauguration, where they could rub elbows with members of Trump’s team as well as the president himself, who made an appearance at each festivity.
Donors also received special access to public events, including inaugural balls and the swearing-in ceremony. Some were also invited to use Trump’s new Washington hotel as an informal gathering place for the week.
Trump’s inauguration included more than 20 events but drew modest crowds. The committee said on Tuesday that it would donate any leftover money to charities, though it did not say which ones.