On Friday night, tech billionaires and cabinet secretaries celebrated the opening of Washington, DC’s “The Executive Branch” — the members-only club co-founded by Donald Trump Jr. and 1789 Capital partner Omeed Malik
Trump Jr. and Malik hosted the party for founding members who paid a $500,000 initiation fee, with their co-founders: 1789 partner Christopher Buskirk and Alex and Zach Witkoff, the sons of Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
While the president was not in attendance, Witkoff was, along with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, PayPal mafia member Keith Rabois, crypto billionaires Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and Dr. Oz.
From the Trump administration, crypto and AI czar David Sacks, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were spotted, as well as Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
In September, the Executive Branch will open to its new members with a $150,000 initiation fee and annual dues of $15,000.
Caviar, champagne and lobster were plentiful Friday, with one attendee describing it as a “Gilded Age” experience. The club’s menu is said to be MAHA-approved, with the chef using beef tallow in lieu of seed oils.
I’m told several former Navy SEALs have been hired to handle security full-time.
Other opening-night guests included newly minted Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth Jacob Helberg, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, UAE ambassador to the US Yousef Al Otaiba, and Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
Also on hand: Deputy Chiefs of Staff Taylor Budowich, Dan Scavino, Stephen Miller, and James Blair; FHFA Director Bill Pulte; Trump campaign managers Corey Lewandowski and Chris LaCivita; and Emil Michael, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
Notably absent were members of the media, whose presence is strictly forbidden. Adding to that layer of secrecy, no photos are allowed and stickers must cover phone cameras.
Malik said he sees it as an extension of his existing work investing in the parallel economy.
The club “is the first of its kind in Washington, DC — there is nothing else like it,” Malik told me. “It’s consistent with our efforts at 1789 to invest in the parallel economy or, in this place, creating an entirely new experience.”
He also said they want the Executive Branch to be a haven for members and are extremely cautious about not admitting members who may not be aligned with their values.
Private club The Ned also opened in DC earlier this year, albeit to a far less curated group who pay just $5,000 in initiation fees and $5,000 for membership. But while The Ned is near the Capitol and attracts an overwhelming group of politicos, The Executive Branch is Georgetown.
Its Wisconsin Avenue address was formerly home to The Clubhouse, a bar that was a favorite of billionaires and world leaders. The co-founders renovated the space and added more than 10-million-dollars’ worth of art, including “a stunning array of original oil paintings and bronze sculptures celebrating US stories of bravery, service and politics,” as well as oil paintings of the club’s founding class.
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