"The winning bid came during a charity event at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, supporting educational scholarships for children of Palm Beach police officers and firefighters. The event raised a record $7.5 million for first responders' scholarships and local services, organizers said. Wertheim's lunch purchase came bundled with round-trip travel on financier Thomas Peterffy's private jet, a perk donated jointly by Peterffy, Trump, and philanthropist Lynne Wheat."
"A White House spokesperson told Fortune that the reward was cleared by White House Counsel and no legal conflicts of interest were identified. Presidents from both parties have long entertained high-profile donors with extravagant rewards and appointments, but watchdog groups have been critical of the Trump administration's use of big-ticket charity events to exchange face time with the president, even when their donations go toward a charitable cause."
"Wertheim, an optometrist and philanthropist, is the founder of Brain Power, Inc., a medical equipment manufacturer and supplier. The businessman-whose 2026 net worth stands at around $4 billion, according to Forbes-is also a big name in Palm Beach real estate. Last year, he purchased a $62 million oceanfront estate in Manalapan, a town known for its proximity to Mar-a-Lago that has recently attracted a slew of billionaire homebuyers, including Oracle cofounder and Trump confidante Larry Ellison."
Herbert Wertheim paid $2 million at a Palm Beach charity gala for a private White House visit with President Donald Trump. The auction took place at Mar-a-Lago and helped fund educational scholarships for children of Palm Beach police officers and firefighters. The gala raised $7.5 million for first responders' scholarships and local services. Wertheim's purchase included round-trip travel on Thomas Peterffy's private jet, donated by Peterffy, Trump, and Lynne Wheat. A White House spokesperson said White House Counsel cleared the reward with no legal conflicts identified, while watchdog groups criticized exchanging high-dollar donations for presidential face time.
Read at Fortune
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