Overview
- The portrait was painted live on stage by Vanessa Horabuena as a band performed, with Trump narrating and opening bidding at $100,000.
- The work sold for $2.75 million to an unnamed bidder during the New Year’s Eve event at Trump’s Palm Beach club.
- Trump said the proceeds would benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and a local sheriff’s office, a distribution not independently confirmed in the reports.
- He praised Horabuena as “one of the greatest,” offered to sign the painting for higher bids, and joked with the winning bidder about not going bankrupt.
- Reported attendees included Rudy Giuliani, filmmaker Brett Ratner, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Emirati billionaire Hussain Sajwani.