A high-profile fundraiser held on Saturday to support former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party has successfully raised $43 million, according to a source privy to the event’s details. This marks the first significant fundraising event for Trump and the Republican National Committee since Trump was declared the presumptive presidential nominee of his party.
The event, which took place in Palm Beach, Florida, was headlined by the former president and former first lady Melania Trump. It was hosted by hedge fund founder John Paulson and saw the attendance of 100 high-profile guests. The invitation to the fundraiser listed a host of affluent GOP donors as its co-chairs, including hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah, oil magnate Harold Hamm, hotelier and space entrepreneur Robert Bigelow, and casino tycoon Steve Wynn.
Three former Trump rivals, who have since endorsed him, were listed as special guests on the fundraiser invitation. These included South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.
The fundraiser offered various contribution levels, with the price tag ranging from $250,000 per person for those serving on the host committee, to $824,600 per person to serve as a chairman. Top-level contributors were offered perks such as dinner seating at Trump’s table.
The funds raised from the Palm Beach event will be directed towards the Trump 47 Committee, a joint fundraising operation that includes Trump’s campaign, the RNC, and state party committees. The funds will also benefit a leadership PAC that has been covering Trump’s personal legal bills.
This fundraising event comes on the heels of an announcement made by the Trump campaign and the RNC earlier this week, stating that they had raised a combined $65.6 million in March, and entered April with $93.1 million in cash on hand. Despite this, they still face a significant financial gap compared to President Joe Biden’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee, who reported cash-on-hand totals of over $155 million at the end of February.
This article and headline have been updated with new information. Contributions to this report were made by CNN’s David Wright.