Chevron (NYSE: CVX), United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL), and defense contractor RTX (NYSE: RTX) collectively donated $9 million to Freedom 250, the group behind President Donald Trump’s planned celebrations of America’s 250th birthday.
The contributions were disclosed through lobbying filings submitted on July 30, marking the first time any of the more than 20 corporate sponsors of Freedom 250 have publicly revealed the scale of their donations.
Chevron led the group with a $5 million contribution made in May, an amount more than five times what its political action committee spent on all other contributions during the same six-month reporting period.
United Airlines donated $2.5 million in March, while RTX contributed $1.5 million in May, with both figures representing more than half of each company’s total political contributions for the reporting period.
Freedom 250 LLC is not legally required to disclose what its corporate sponsors paid, making the lobbying filings a rare window into the finances of the organization.
The nonprofit arm behind Freedom 250 is structured as a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Park Foundation, which received roughly $90 million in federal dollars to support the anniversary celebrations, according to government records.
Because Freedom 250 files no tax return of its own, money raised in its name legally belongs to the National Park Foundation, adding a layer of complexity to its financial structure.
The disclosures coincide with a broader Wall Street Journal investigation published this week, which found that Trump has personally overseen a corporate fundraising effort that has taken in more than $800 million since he returned to office.
The Journal reported that Lockheed Martin gave more than $10 million in late 2025 and early 2026 related to America’s 250th anniversary and infrastructure projects, while TikTok gave roughly $2 million and Oracle and ExxonMobil each gave more than $1 million.
Much of the money flows through entities not required to publicly disclose donor information, including Freedom 250 LLC, a nonprofit tied to Trump’s proposed White House ballroom, and the political dark money group Securing American Greatness.
The Journal also reported that Trump regularly calls his chief fundraiser to inquire how much specific companies have contributed, underscoring the hands-on approach to corporate solicitation.
President Trump declared that Freedom 250 would throw America “the most spectacular birthday party you’ve ever seen,” framing the initiative as a landmark national celebration rather than a political fundraising vehicle.
