Tycoons and major corporations in the U.S. are poised to break the 2017 fundraising record for a presidential inauguration fund as they seek favor with the incoming Trump administration.

According to The Guardian, major U.S. corporations are pouring money into Trump’s inauguration fund for January 20th, as these donations are not subject to campaign finance laws. The projections suggest the amount will exceed the $107 million raised for Trump’s inauguration in 2017.

Donations already recorded include $1 million from Jeff Bezos’ Amazon, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg.

Hedge fund manager Ken Griffin has reportedly pledged $1 million, as stated by Bloomberg, while Uber and its CEO are also said to have contributed $1 million each. Toyota, Ford, and General Motors are expected to donate $1 million apiece, with Ford also reportedly including a fleet of vehicles in its donation.

“EVERYONE WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND!!!” Trump wrote a few days ago in a post on Truth Social.

High-Profile Visits to Mar-a-Lago
Many top executives from the American industrial and financial sectors have either already made trips to Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s transition team headquarters, or are planning to, according to reports. These visits are part of efforts to gain influence and access to the incoming administration, which has vowed to change international trade rules.

Brendan Glavin, research director of the nonprofit OpenSecrets, which tracks money in politics, told CNBC last week that Trump’s inauguration committee represents “a great opportunity for them to curry favor with the incoming administration.”

Glavin described this courting as both a defensive and offensive charm strategy. “None of these people want to be Trump’s punching bag for the next four years,” he remarked.

Breaking Donation Records
According to ABC News, declared donations have already surpassed $150 million, far exceeding the $53 million raised for Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009, $42 million in 2013, and $63 million for Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021.

“One of the oldest sayings in Washington is that if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu, and the price of admission to get a seat at the table keeps going up,” said Michael Beckel, director of advocacy group Issue One, to CNBC

Symbolic Donations
The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that 11 companies and trade associations are financially supporting Trump’s second inauguration, despite pledges to suspend or review donations after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Trump allies noted that the fundraising isn’t about the money but serves as a symbolic means for donors to apologize for any previous misjudgments.

According to the WSJ, donors who contribute $1 million or bundle $2 million will receive six tickets to a series of pre-inauguration events, including a reception with cabinet members, a “candlelight dinner” with Trump and Melania Trump, and a formal inaugural ball.