SoftBank donated $50 million to Trump library months before federal data center deal

SoftBank disclosed a $50 million contribution to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation, Inc. in January, according to a report by *The Verge*. The donation was made during Donald Trump’s term in office, which lawmakers noted is unusual compared to past presidential library contributions by SoftBank.

In March, SoftBank’s subsidiary SB Energy announced a public-private partnership to build what it described as "the world’s largest" AI data center at a U.S. Department of Energy site in Portsmouth, Ohio. The project includes plans for a gas-fired power plant with a capacity of at least 9.2 gigawatts.

Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) raised concerns in a June letter about the timing of the donation and the subsequent federal land lease for the data center. They questioned whether the contribution could constitute bribery.

SoftBank responded in a letter that the donation was intended to support the construction and operation of the Trump Presidential Library, consistent with its past contributions to other presidential libraries. The company did not address the lawmakers’ bribery concerns directly.

The Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Fund had been dissolved by the state of Florida in September of the previous year for failing to file an annual report, adding further scrutiny to the donation’s timing and purpose.