MIAMI | Donald Trump and his financier, Steven Witkoff, will be persona non grata this weekend at the Miami Grand Prix. A few days ago, the management of the event even put on notice the great friend of the 45th American president who is trying to return to the White House.
The reason?
Witkoff, an immensely wealthy investor, attempted to finance Trump’s election campaign by selling tickets for $250,000 each to meet Trump in a Grand Prix suite on Sunday, the Washington Post reported.
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The problem is that this strategy violates the rental agreement for the suite located on the roof of the Paddock Club.
“It was brought to our attention that the sequel would be used for political reasons, in particular for fundraising at $250,000 per ticket in anticipation of the federal election, which violates the terms of the contract,” it is written in the document sent by the leaders of the GP of which the Washington Post obtained a copy.
“If the information is true, the contract will be terminated. Access to the site and the race will be prohibited.”
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Sold at very high prices, the paddock roof suites offer an immersive experience in the world of F1, exclusive benefits and overlook the starting grid.
Under the terms of the contract, the suite must not be used for advertising, promotional or commercial purposes without the consent of the promoter and F1.
By a hyper exclusive club
It is no coincidence that Witkoff received this warning and the formal notice. The suite was rented in his name even though Trump was going to use it for his partisan activities.
According to information from the Washington Post, the political financing strategy emanates from a newsletter sent to members of the very select and exclusive Shell Bay golf club, located in Hollywood Beach.
Having recently opened its doors, it is the brainchild of Wizkoff’s real estate company. The entry price is set at around $1 million. The price range for residential units varies from $3 million to more than $11 million.
The newsletter served as an invitation to the Miami Grand Prix, mentioning helicopter transportation and other exclusive benefits. Only by inquiring into the details was it possible to know the price and funding for Trump.
Witkoff is a close friend of the ex-president. Last November, he testified in Trump’s defense in a civil fraud trial targeting the family and their businesses in New York. Trump was ultimately convicted in February. The judge also ordered him to pay a fine of more than $350 million.
According to a ProPublica report published in 2021, he also donated more than $2M to the ex-president’s political group
Will Trump show up?
It is not yet clear whether Trump can appear at the Grand Prix this weekend. His home in Mar-a-Lago is less than 100 km from the track at Hard Rock Stadium.
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The American secret services have already made arrangements with race officials to coordinate his visit on Sunday.
Trump’s name isn’t just making waves in F1 at the Miami Grand Prix.
Earlier this week, organizers of the prestigious Indy 500 race, in the IndyCar series, rejected a request from a team to put photos of Trump and independent candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr. on the car for the race from May 26.
