SoftBank's $50M Trump Library Donation Precedes Federal Data Center Lease
SoftBank gave $50M in January, then landed a federal land lease in March.
SoftBank contributed $50 million to the Trump Presidential Library in January, according to a letter responding to Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other Democratic lawmakers. The contribution came just months before the Japanese conglomerate announced it would lease federal land in Portsmouth, Ohio, to build what it calls "the world's largest" AI data center. The project, developed through SoftBank's SB Energy subsidiary, includes a massive gas-fired power plant with at least 9.2 gigawatts of capacity.
Lawmakers are questioning whether the donation and the lease deal are connected. "Are we expected to believe it's a coincidence that two months after SoftBank donated $50 million to the Trump library, his administration announced a massive lease deal?" Warren said. SoftBank argues the donation is consistent with its past contributions to the Reagan and Bush libraries, but critics note those were made only after those presidents left office. The Trump donation occurred during his term, and the original library fund was dissolved by Florida for failing to file an annual report. Eric Trump is a trustee of the foundation receiving the money.
- SoftBank donated $50 million to the Trump Presidential Library in January 2026, before the Ohio data center lease was announced in March.
- The SB Energy data center at a DOE site in Portsmouth, Ohio will include a 9.2-gigawatt gas power plant, billed as the world's largest AI data center.
- Senators Warren, Blumenthal, and Stansbury are investigating potential bribery; SoftBank's prior library donations to Reagan and Bush were made only after those presidents left office.
Why It Matters
This raises ethics questions about corporate donations timing with federal contracts, potentially influencing AI infrastructure policy.