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Union Pacific donated $2.5 million to President Trump's White House ballroom, per a list of donors and gifts reported by The Washington Post.

Why it matters: The Omaha, Neb.-based railroad's proposed $85 billion Norfolk Southern acquisition requires federal regulatory approval.

Context: Top donors writing $25 million checks were Nvidia, Apple, Dish Network and the Adelson family.

Stunning stat: Union Pacific's check was one-tenth the size of Nvidia's, but proportionally three times larger when compared to market caps.

By the numbers: Nvidia, the world's most valuable publicly traded company, boasts an astounding $5.3 trillion market value. Union Pacific's is $170 billion.

Nvidia's gift represents 0.00047% of its market cap — equivalent to less than $5 per $1 million.

Union Pacific's makes up 0.0015% of its valuation — roughly $15 per $1 million. 

Amazon donated twice as much as Union Pacific at $5 million, but its gift represents just 0.00018% of its market cap — or $1.80 per $1 million.

Catch up quick: Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena pledged the donation following an Oval Office meeting with Trump to discuss the megamerger.

Its gift was among about three dozen that were previously reported, but the amounts had been kept under wraps.

A mock-up of the proposed ballroom was on the Resolute Desk in Vena and Trump's official White House photo.

The bottom line: While the railroad may have written a smaller check, $2.5 million means a lot more to Union Pacific than $25 million does to Nvidia.

Merger-hopeful Union Pacific donated $2.5M to White House ballroom: report

The railroad's proposed $85 billion Norfolk Southern acquisition requires federal regulatory approval.

Two men in suits in an official office with American flags behind them; one seated with red tie and the other standing with blue tie near a wooden desk with phones, model, and photo frames.

Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena and President Trump met in the Oval Office in September. White House photo via Union Pacific

Union Pacific donated $2.5 million to President Trump&#x27;s White House ballroom, per <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a list of donors and gifts" data-vars-click-url="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/10/15/secret-documents-reveal-donors-behind-330-million-trumps-ballroom/" data-vars-content-id="8953072c-7f08-4ded-8a5b-bdaa7e0f2c66" data-vars-headline="Merger-hopeful Union Pacific donated $2.5M to White House ballroom: report" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/10/15/secret-documents-reveal-donors-behind-330-million-trumps-ballroom/" target="_blank">a list of donors and gifts</a> reported by The Washington Post.Why it matters: The Omaha, Neb.-based railroad&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="proposed $85 billion" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/pro/supply-chain-deals/2026/05/28/revised-union-pacific-norfolk-southern-merger-application-accepted" data-vars-content-id="8953072c-7f08-4ded-8a5b-bdaa7e0f2c66" data-vars-headline="Merger-hopeful Union Pacific donated $2.5M to White House ballroom: report" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/pro/supply-chain-deals/2026/05/28/revised-union-pacific-norfolk-southern-merger-application-accepted" target="_self">proposed $85 billion</a> Norfolk Southern acquisition requires federal regulatory approval.

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Merger-hopeful Union Pacific donated $2.5M to White House ballroom: report

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