Houston Rockets Owner Reportedly Donated $100,000 To Trump's Super PAC For His Reelection

The owner of the Houston Rockets donated $100,000 to former President Donald Trump's Super PAC for his re-election in 2024, according to a report.

In October, Tilman Fertitta, who owns the NBA franchise Houston Rockets and hospitality giant Landry's, made a donation of $100,000 to MAGA Inc. through his conglomerate Splitco Holdings LLC, CNBC reported, citing the latest FEC records.

Fertitta has been a major donor for Republican campaigns for many years. Between 2018 and 2020, he gave three separate $35,000 checks to the joint fundraising committee Trump Victory, totaling $105,000. The committee backed the Republican National Committee and Trump's 2020 re-election campaign.

In July, it was also reported by POLITICO that Fertitta attended a secret gathering in Texas with other contributors and major party figures where Trump and the attendees spoke about his plans for the 2024 presidential election.

In 2020, Fertitta went to a briefing at the White House where he asked Trump and then-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to "add a category" to Paycheck Protection Program, a COVID-19 initiative, for the "larger private restaurateur" and provide his company financial relief.

During the roundtable, Fertitta also said his company returned PPP funds because he wanted to avoid criticism. "I wanted to put 40,000 people back to work on May 1, but couldn't take the criticism. [I don't want to be] the billionaire that took the money from the little business," he said, adding, "I took the money and sent it back and did not spend a dollar."

Fertitta first came to own the Houston Rockets after the NBA approved a $2.2 billion purchase in October 2017. The price surpassed the $2 billion that former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer paid for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014.

"I am truly honored to have been chosen as the next owner of the Houston Rockets. This is a life-long dream come true," he said at the time, as quoted by NBC Sports. "Leslie Alexander has been one of the best owners in all of sports, and I thank him immensely for this opportunity ... I am overwhelmed with emotion to have this opportunity in my beloved city of Houston."

Apart from the sports team, Fertita also owns the Golden Nugget Casinos and Texas-based restaurant and entertainment company Landry's. There are several brands under Landry's, including Landry's Seafood House, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and Saltgrass Steak House.

As of Sunday, Fertitta has a net worth of $8 billion, as per Forbes.