The billionaire Tilman Fertitta of the Houston region will co-host the inauguration reception for President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance in Washington, D.C.
Fertitta will co-host the event alongside billionaire Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, former Republican National Committee finance chairman and Chicago Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts and his wife Sylvie L. G. Re, and Dallas Mavericks owner Miriam Adelson, according to a copy of an invitation shared on social media by Puck News reporter Tara Palmeri.
NEW: Zuckerberg will host Trump and Vance’s first ball reception, which will include Miriam Adelson, Todd Ricketts, and Tilman Fertittapic.https://yfpL617NO1
January 14, 2025 Tara Palmeri (@tarapalmeri)
Following Trump’s announcement of Fertitta as his choice for U.S. ambassador to Italy, Fertitta co-hosted the inaugural celebration. The U.S. Senate will need to confirm the appointment.
Fertitta and the president-elect have been doing business together for almost ten years, beginning at least in 2011 when he purchased a casino in Atlantic City from Trump.
Fertitta gave over $1 million to state and federal Republican political action committees during the 2024 election. According to the U.S. Federal Election Commission, Fertitta gave over $487,000 in total to the Trump 47 fundraising committee in 2024, one of his biggest donations. Fertitta occasionally contributed to Democratic causes as well, including two contributions of around $6,600 to the Harris for President fund.
The other co-hosts of Fertitta are likewise significant contributors to Trump and Republican causes.
The Federal Election Commission claims that Ricketts and L g re contributed over $300,000 to Republican causes, while Adelson gave $95 million to the pro-Trump PAC Preserve America. The BBC revealed in December that Zuckerberg’s business, Meta, had contributed $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund.
Fertitta has served on the University of Houston System Board of Regents since 2009. Fertitta was appointed chairman of the board by then-Texas Governor Rick Perry in 2014, and he continues to serve in that capacity. Fertitta has served on the board for three of his six-year terms.
Fertitta is also the owner and CEO of Landry’s, Inc., a hospitality corporation based in Houston that owns gaming and hospitality brands in addition to several dozen restaurants. His business lost a trademark battle against a distillery in Austin that had the same name earlier this week.
Fertitta owns a professional sports franchise, the NBA’s Houston Rockets, just like a number of his fellow inaugural co-hosts. Fertitta also made news earlier this year when it was rumored that he started negotiating with the NHL about bringing a hockey team to Houston.
