Writing Exchange

Chuck DarwinAttendees, with white-and-red gift bags and lanyards, knew to be closelipped when approached by hotel interlopers or by the Times reporter, who was not invited to the closed-press festivities. But a copy of the agenda listed remarks by several tech billionaires, including the Anduril co-founder <a href="https://c.im/tags/Palmer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Palmer</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Luckey" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Luckey</a> and the venture capitalist <a href="https://c.im/tags/Marc" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Marc</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Andreessen" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Andreessen</a>, who spoke about his support for deregulating technology and the mixed reaction in Silicon Valley to his endorsement of Mr. Trump, according to attendees.There were tech up-and-comers, too: Donald Trump <a href="https://c.im/tags/Jr" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Jr</a>. announced at the welcome dinner that he was entering venture capital. And days before the president-elect chose Robert F. <a href="https://c.im/tags/Kennedy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Kennedy</a> Jr. for health and human services secretary, Mr. Kennedy spoke extensively about his public-health work to a standing ovation. Ms. <a href="https://c.im/tags/Wiles" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Wiles</a> also led a session on “2024 Election Analysis,” where she gave a preview of Mr. Trump’s first days as president.“It’s the domestic ‘Davos in the desert,’” said the Rockbridge backer <a href="https://c.im/tags/Omeed" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Omeed</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Malik" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Malik</a>, referring to the annual business conference in Riyadh, and Donald Trump Jr.’s new business partner.➡️Rockbridge began with more humility. Back in 2019, Mr. <a href="https://c.im/tags/Vance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Vance</a>, then best known as the author of “Hilbilly Elegy,” and a conservative media figure named <a href="https://c.im/tags/Chris" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Chris</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Buskirk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Buskirk</a> began informally hosting a series of small dinners that would eventually become called Rockbridge. The group drew early support from the venture capitalist <a href="https://c.im/tags/Peter" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Peter</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Thiel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Thiel</a> and eventually caught the attention of Donald J. Trump, who spoke at a few meetings.Once in the fall and once in the spring, Rockbridge began to gather at places like the Four Seasons in Palm Beach, Fla., or the Ritz-Carlton in Dallas for three days of political panels and business networking. Speakers included people like <a href="https://c.im/tags/Tucker" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Tucker</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Carlson" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Carlson</a>; the Thiel protégé <a href="https://c.im/tags/Blake" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Blake</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Masters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Masters</a>; the casino mogul <a href="https://c.im/tags/Steve" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Steve</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Wynn" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Wynn</a>; the investor <a href="https://c.im/tags/David" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#David</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Sacks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Sacks</a>; and <a href="https://c.im/tags/Woody" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Woody</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Johnson" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Johnson</a>, the billionaire owner of the New York Jets.Not all attendees have politics at the top of their mind. Some are primarily interested in business, seeing Rockbridge as a conservative-tinged version of the elite Sun Valley conference.<a href="https://c.im/tags/RockbridgeNetwork" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#RockbridgeNetwork</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/RebekahMercer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#RebekahMercer</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/ElonMusk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ElonMusk</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/KenHowery" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#KenHowery</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/LukeNosek" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#LukeNosek</a>

Chuck DarwinDonald Trump, facing a cash crunch that puts him at a severe disadvantage to President Biden, dined on Thursday night with a small group of donors including the hedge fund billionaire <a href="https://c.im/tags/Robert" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Robert</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Mercer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Mercer</a> and his daughter <a href="https://c.im/tags/Rebekah" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Rebekah</a>, according to two people with knowledge of the event. Mr. Trump’s dinner companions also included the entrepreneur <a href="https://c.im/tags/Omeed" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Omeed</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Malik" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Malik</a>, the cosmetics firm founder <a href="https://c.im/tags/Trish" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Trish</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/McEvoy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#McEvoy</a> and the real estate management billionaire <a href="https://c.im/tags/Richard" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Richard</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Kurtz" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Kurtz</a>, one of the people said. The Mercers, Ms. McEvoy and Mr. Kurtz did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for Mr. Malik declined to comment, and a Trump spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.The Mercers were a critical source of support behind Mr. Trump’s win in the 2016 presidential election. In addition to giving donations, they pushed him to make changes to his political team, including making <a href="https://c.im/tags/Kellyanne" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Kellyanne</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Conway" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Conway</a> his campaign manager and <a href="https://c.im/tags/Stephen" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Stephen</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Bannon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Bannon</a> his chief executive. The Mercer family was conspicuously quiet during Mr. Trump’s 2020 re-election effort<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/30/us/politics/trumper-mercer-dinner.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/30/us/politics/trumper-mercer-dinner.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare</a>

Recent searches

Search options

Administered by:

Server stats:

#omeed