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- There's a new, Trump-aligned private club in Washington, DC, where membership can cost up to $500,000.The club is in an old Georgetown bar, bans phones, and hired a chef from a different private club.Private clubs are popping up across the US, including in the nation's capital.
Out with DC's old, in with the "younger, hipper, Trump-aligned Republican."
That's how David Sacks, President Donald Trump's crypto and AI czar, described a new private club in the city, Executive Branch, on the latest episode of the "All-In" podcast. The most exclusive membership costs a small fortune, but Trump's orbit is full of people who can pay the price.
Executive Branch promises to remake the Washington social scene in Trump's image, Sacks said.
"The clubs that exist in Washington today have been around for decades. They're kind of old and stuffy," he said on "All-In." "To the extent that there are Republican clubs, they tend to be more Bush-era Republicans as opposed to Trump-era Republicans. We wanted to create something new, hipper, and Trump-aligned."
Interest in private clubs is soaring across the country, including in Washington. Ned's Club, a separate members-only space, opened just steps from the White House earlier this year.
Here are eight key details about Executive Branch, which is billing itself as MAGA's hottest new hangout.
Membership can cost $500,000
Founding members have to shell out $500,000 to join the invite-only club. Sacks said on "All-In" that there are about 10 founding members, including himself and Chamath Palihapitiya, a billionaire investor and a cohost of "All-In." Founding members have "additional benefits," Sacks said, though he didn't specify what those special perks include.
Palihapitiya responded to a request for comment from Business Insider with a poop emoji.
The club will be in Georgetown
Executive Branch is in a somewhat unlikely location: the bottom level of the Georgetown Park mall, the source confirmed. It's taking over the spot that used to be a bar called Clubhouse — think nachos, beer, and an annual chicken wing eating competition, according to Instagram.
The Washington Post reported that members can access the Executive Branch through a garage, so they'll have privacy when coming and going. Georgetown isn't the political center of DC, providing literal distance from establishment politics.
Not many people are getting in
Executive Branch is capping membership at around 200 people, a source familiar with the club confirmed to BI. They said many more had expressed interest.
The club's sparse website says it's invite-only, and the waiting list for new members is closed.
A chef from a Florida-based private club is crafting the menu
The source said that Salvatore Brucculeri is the club's chef. Brucculeri was the chef at Carriage House, a private club in Palm Beach, until April, according to his LinkedIn.
The source told BI that Executive Branch has an American menu, with hints of Mediterranean and Japanese influence. According to job postings Brucculeri shared on LinkedIn, Executive Branch was hiring for multiple kitchen roles in May, including a sous chef slated to make up to $90,000 per year.
Members can drink, but it's not a free for all
Executive Branch serves top-tier wine and cocktails, the source said, but the days of smoke-filled rooms are over — the club doesn't offer cigars. It will be open at least six days each week.
There are, however, various spots to drink, since Executive Branch includes two bars, a dining space, various lounges, and a private VIP section. The inside is meant to feel like a mansion.
Owners include the sons of Trumpworld
Politico reported that Donald Trump Jr., the megadonor Omeed Malik, the investor Chris Buskirk, and Zach and Alex Witkoff are co-owners of the club.
Malik and Buskirk cofounded 1789 Capital, an anti-ESG VC firm that has invested in Tucker Carlson's new conservative media project. Trump Jr. is a partner at the firm.
The Witkoff brothers are the sons of Steve Witkoff, Trump's Middle East envoy and a real estate developer. The elder Witkoff has known the president for decades.
The reported co-owners didn't respond to requests for comment from BI.
Lower-cost membership options are available
While founding members pay a staggering $500,000 to join the Executive Branch, other invitees can dole out smaller sums. The source told BI that annual dues are in the four—or five-figure range, and cheaper memberships are in the low six-figure range.
BI reported in April that regular membership at Ned's Club costs $5,000 a year, in addition to a $5,000 joining fee. The Founders' membership costs $25,000 a year, with a $125,000 initial fee.
Reporters aren't welcome
Privacy is key. The source told BI that reporters won't be let in and that members have to check their phones upon entering.
On the episode of All-In, Sacks said the founders wanted to create a place where people could hang out without fear of bumping into lobbyists or "a fake news reporter."
