Ballmer buys four tickets for $25k

From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

In order to pay for the inauguration, Obama has said he will rely exclusively on individual donors and will not accept funds from corporations, political action committees or unions. Individual contributions are capped at $50,000, which gets donors a four-day package of tickets to the swearing-in plus other events.

As of Monday evening, the Presidential Inaugural Committee had raised slightly more than $24 million, including $944,700 from Washington state residents.

Many of the top givers here have Microsoft connections. Among those who have written checks for $50,000: Ballmer; Ballmer's wife, Connie; Melinda Gates; William Gates; and Microsoft executive Steven VanRoekel. (It's unclear from the committee's listing whether the William Gates donation came from the Microsoft chairman or his father, both of whom hold positions at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.)

Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith and Chief Research Officer Craig Mundie both donated $25,000.

Ballmer, Smith and Mundie did not contribute to Obama's general election campaign.