The Small Business Administration (SBA) will feature high-profile MAGA-loving celebrities in a new reality TV-like competition created by the Trump administration.
Five entrepreneurs will participate in the agency’s Million Dollar Pitch Competition before a panel of judges that includes rapper and entrepreneur Nicki Minaj, investor Grant Cardone, and Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia. Actor Dean Cain, who is best known for his starring role in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman in the 1990s, will host the live finale on Sept. 18 in Washington, D.C.
According to a press release, the small business owners will compete for a share of a $1 million cash prize, with the first-place winner receiving $400,000, followed by $250,000 for second place, $150,000 for third, $125,000 for fourth, and $75,000 for fifth.
SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler said the celebrity judges bring experience spanning entertainment, real estate, technology, and entrepreneurship.
“Great American entrepreneurs themselves, Nicki Minaj, Grant Cardone, Joe Gebbia, and Dean Cain will only add to the excitement of this historic celebration of free enterprise in the finale of our Million Dollar Pitch Competition,” said Loeffler in a statement.
She added that the judges’ backgrounds could help highlight the finalists and the role of small businesses in the economy.
“Their presence will be invaluable in highlighting the unique and inspiring stories of the five finalists competing for $1 million in growth capital, and the importance of Main Street businesses in powering American strength.”
The competition is part of the SBA’s Freedom 250 initiative, launched by the Trump administration last year to mark the country’s 250th birthday in July. The finalists are Compotech Inc. of Brewer, Maine; Winton Machine of Suwanee, Georgia; Plas-Tech Tooling of Garner, Iowa; Red River of Gillette, Wyoming; and VetPowered LLC of San Diego, California.
Minaj’s public stance on politics and immigration has shifted
dramatically in recent years. Once outspoken about the treatment of migrant children, the Trinidad and Tobago-born artist has since aligned herself with the MAGA movement and praised Trump’s leadership. In January, she described herself as “probably the president’s No. 1 fan” while speaking at a Treasury Department summit in Washington, D.C. She also revealed that she received Trump’s gold card, which gives wealthy immigrants a fast-track to retain U.S. citizenship with a $1 million contribution, free of charge.Cardone has also publicly endorsed Trump’s tariff plans and tax perspectives, arguing that trade measures help reduce inflation and fix the economy. Meanwhile, Trump tapped Gebbia to serve as the U.S. first chief design officer, and Cain joined Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as an honorary officer, reports BuzzFeed.
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