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Owner Of Equinox & SoulCycle Faces Outrage Over Trump Fundraiser
The receptionists at Equinox have their work cut out for them this week.
Word got out on Wednesday that the owner of Equinox is planning a high-dollar Hamptons fundraiser for the Cheeto-In-Chief himself, Donald Trump. This news lead to outrage online and sparked calls for a boycott of the luxury gym and its associated businesses, SoulCycle and Blink Fitness.
Real estate developer Stephen Ross is chairman and majority owner of the Related Companies, which oversees Equinox Fitness. He is set to host a luncheon on Friday, according to the invitation, at which attendees will pay up to $100,000 for a picture with the President and $250,000 to listen in on a roundtable discussion.
Imagine the things you could do with $100K…all of them are better than taking a picture with that guy.
The Washington Post first reported the news of the fundraiser, sparking some serious online outrage. The news didn’t sit well with a lot of regular folk and celebrities alike who frequent the expensive gym, who don’t want their hundreds of dollars a month used to support Donald Chump.
Celebrities like Chrissy Teigen and Billy Eichner were extremely vocal over their thoughts on the matter, with Billy cancelling his membership and Teigen urging her famous friends to do the same.
Stephen Ross responded to all of the backlash in a statement to CNN, saying “I have always been an active participant in the democratic process. … I have known Donald Trump for 40 years, and while we agree on some issues, we strongly disagree on many others and I have never been bashful about expressing my opinions. I have been, and will continue to be, an outspoken champion of racial equality, inclusion, diversity, public education and environmental sustainability, and I have and will continue to support leaders on both sides of the aisle to address these challenges.”
In addition to that statement, Samantha Bonizzi, a spokesperson for Equinox and SoulCycle, told the publication, “Neither Equinox nor SoulCycle have anything to do with the event later this week and do not support it. As is consistent with our policies, no company profits are used to fund politicians.” She added, “We are committed to all our members and the communities we live in. We believe in tolerance and equality, and will always stay true to those values. Mr. Ross is a passive investor and is not involved in the management of either business.”
On social media, people are continuing to post screenshots cancelling their memberships and responding to those who don’t understand why supporting Trump is reason enough to not support a business.
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