# Brian Ballard The most powerful lobbyist of the second Trump era and founder of [[Ballard Partners]]. A wealthy conservative donor and major Trump fundraiser ("bundler") since the 2016 campaign, Ballard reportedly raised more than $50 million for the 2024 effort. He lobbied for the [[Trump Organization]] in Florida before Trump entered national politics, then built that relationship into the dominant DC influence shop after the 2024 election. His firm's $25 million third-quarter 2025 haul was the largest single quarter in U.S. lobbying history. Ballard's career is the KB's central example of how [[Campaign Finance]] (bundling) and the [[Lobbying]] industry interlock: the fundraiser who raises the money also sells the access. See [[Ballard Partners]] for the firm, its alumni in the [[Second Trump Administration]] ([[Susie Wiles]], [[Pam Bondi]]), and its client book. ## See also [[Ballard Partners]] · [[Lobbying Hub]] · [[Revolving Door]]