Rapper Nicki Minaj and actor Dean Cain are set to bring Hollywood star power to a Shark Tank-style White House showcase later this month, where five American entrepreneurs will vie for a share of a $1 million prize pool.
According to the New York Post, the finalists will deliver live pitches in Washington, DC, on Sept. 18 before a celebrity panel and an in-person audience, in an event organized by the Small Business Administration. The competition will be broadcast on television and streamed online, with additional viewing details to be released in the coming days, an SBA spokesperson told the outlet.
Minaj will sit on the judging panel alongside private-equity investor Grant Cardone and Joe Gebbia, the Airbnb co-founder who now serves as Trumps chief design officer. Cain still widely recognized for portraying Superman in the 1990s series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman will serve as host, lending a familiar conservative-friendly face to the proceedings.
SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler praised the star-studded lineup, framing it as a celebration of American capitalism and innovation. 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, Loeffler said in a statement.
She emphasized that the panelists embody the kind of private-sector success the administration wants to highlight. From building globally recognized personal and business brands and multibillion-dollar portfolios to launching innovative wellness solutions and digital platforms, each brings a unique, real?world perspective on business growth and impact.
The Trump administration rolled out the Million Dollar Pitch Competition earlier this year as part of its broader commemoration of Americas upcoming 250th anniversary, inviting submissions from entrepreneurs nationwide. In a nod to publicprivate partnership rather than government handouts, the $1 million prize pool is being funded by Clover, a payment processing company.
Organizers have ensured that every finalist will receive a meaningful boost to their business. The top winner will secure $400,000, while the second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-place finishers will receive $250,000, $150,000, $125,000 and $75,000, respectively.
The five national finalists represent a cross-section of American industry and geography: Compotech, Inc., in Brewer, Maine; Winton Machine in Suwanee, Georgia; Plas-Tech Tooling in Garner, Iowa; Red River in Gillette, Wyoming; and VetPowered LLC in San Diego, California. Their inclusion underscores the administrations emphasis on manufacturing, technology, and veteran-led enterprise as engines of growth.
Fox News Digital previously highlighted the celebrity panelists, noting the events clear echoes of Trumps earlier foray into televised business competitions. The format strongly recalls The Apprentice, the early-2000s reality series in which contestants battled through business challenges for a top corporate role or a major investment, a program that ran 14 seasons and helped cement Trumps national prominence ahead of his 2016 victory.
Gebbia now serves inside the Trump administration, while Minaj, Cardone and Cain have all been vocal in their support for the president, reflecting a growing willingness among high-profile entertainers and entrepreneurs to align publicly with conservative leadership. In January, Minaj declared herself Trumps number one fan as she pledged hundreds of thousands of dollars to help fund his new tax-advantaged investment accounts for kids, a policy aimed at encouraging family savings and private wealth-building rather than expanding federal welfare.
Trump, in turn, offered effusive praise for Minaj during a White House Black History Month event in February, telling attendees, Shes so beautiful. Her skins so beautiful Her nails, her nails! Theyre like that long! The mutual admiration underscores the administrations strategy of pairing cultural influence with pro-growth economic messaging.
This is far from the first unconventional spectacle at the Trump White House since his return to office in January 2025, as the president continues to blend politics, entertainment, and free-market advocacy. In June, his team staged a UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn, where professional mixed martial arts fighters competed, signaling that this latest Million Dollar Pitch is part of a broader effort to celebrate American grit, competition, and entrepreneurial risk-taking on the nations most prominent stage.
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