11.03.2026 00:42
Although signs of a possible war with Iran had been given months in advance, the spending of the U.S. Department of Defense has sparked controversy. According to data from the oversight organization Open the Books, the Pentagon has spent the budget on luxury consumption rather than war preparedness. During Pete Hegseth's tenure, purchases included a $98,000 Steinway piano, $5.3 million worth of Apple devices, millions of dollars in crab, lobster, and steak, as well as $225 million in furniture.
The U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) set a record by spending the highest amount seen since 2008 in the closing month of the 2025 fiscal year (September). However, an analysis by the auditing organization Open the Books revealed that a large portion of the $93 billion spent went to luxury consumption items unrelated to military defense.
SPENDING SPREE: $50 BILLION IN 5 DAYS
The "last-minute" spending by federal agencies to avoid losing their budgets for the next year spiraled out of control this year. The $50.1 billion spent in just the last 5 days of September surpassed the total military budgets of Canada and Mexico, with only 9 countries in the world able to spend this amount in a year.
PENTAGON'S LUXURY SHOPPING LIST
Some items purchased by the Pentagon under Secretary Pete Hegseth's defense budget were jaw-dropping:
Musical enjoyment: A $98,329 Steinway & Sons grand piano for the home of the Air Force Chief of Staff.
Seafood feast: $2 million for Alaska king crab and $6.9 million for lobster tails. (The total lobster spending for the year exceeded $7.4 million.)
Gourmet menu: $15.1 million for ribeye steak and a $124,000 ice cream machine.
Technology and furniture: $5.3 million for Apple devices and $225 million for office furniture. This spending includes Herman Miller chairs costing thousands of dollars each and $12,000 fruit basket stands.
Expensive snacks: The astonishing amount paid for 272 donuts: $139,224.
"UNDEFENSIBLE EXPENDITURES"
Auditors emphasize that these uncontrolled expenditures made to prevent the budget from "burning" lead to the waste of public resources rather than increasing military efficiency. The rise in furniture spending to a decade-high has raised criticisms that the Pentagon is focusing on luxury consumption rather than operational needs.