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Whiskey tycoon offers entire college campus FREE to any Catholic group who will revive Western civilization

March 17, 2026 | | Print Article

A whiskey tycoon who purchased a college campus in 2020 is now offering to donate the whole campus to any Catholic group that shares his vision for “the revival of the United States and Western Civilization.”

Raj Peter Bhakta, the founder of WhistlePig and Bhatka Spirits, purchased the Green Mountain College campus in Vermont during a 2020 auction for $4.55 million, according to Ministry Watch.

Originally founded by Methodists in 1834, Green Mountain College eventually closed in 2019. During his own ownership of the campus, Bhakta kept up maintenance of the facility and allowed some locals to use it for events and schooling.

While Bhakta reportedly hoped to “develop the campus” over time, business/tax disputes with the local government, all Democrats, prompted him to flee the state, leaving him with little option but to find a way to dispose of the sprawling campus.

In February, Bhakta created a Request for Proposals (RFP) and started asking Catholic groups to submit proposals explaining why they deserve to have the campus for themselves.

Groups competing for the campus will need to show that they’re capable of maintaining the facility, which is estimated to cost at least $1 million per year.

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Groups will also need to prove how they intend to use the campus either for Catholic education, youth/family/clergy retreats, or as a mission center that hosts cultural initiatives.

“This gift is about stewardship,” Bhakta said in a statement. “The Green Mountain College campus is a magnificent resource, and I am seeking a Catholic organization with the vision and capability to use it for good — to serve people, purpose, and faith.”

“This is not just a gift of architecturally remarkable buildings — or even of a historic, singular, campus site originally founded for Christian purposes nearly two centuries ago. It’s a gift of opportunity — the chance to revive a campus for mission, formation, and future generations of the Catholic Church,” he added.

So, who is Bhakta? He’s a whiskey mogul who became successful in part because of the influence of President Donald Trump, who fired him from “The Apprentice” in 2004.

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“I got into the whiskey business by getting fired by the sitting president of the United States,” he explained to Fox News.

He later ran for political office in Pennsylvania by performing an amazing stunt designed to make a point about America’s then-open borders.

“Former Apprentice Raj Peter Bhakta used an elephant and a six-piece mariachi band to make a political point about border security,” The Morning Call reported in 2006. “Bhakta … paraded an elephant and the band through the water near the mouth of the Rio Grande along the Texas-Mexico border last week.”

Whoever wins the RFP battle and is gifted the Green Mountain College campus will have a hell of a job ahead of them.

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“The buildings included in the gift include Withey Hall, an administrative building with a commercial kitchen and dining hall; The Griswold Library, described as a ‘multi-level, spacious, and light-filled academic resource center;’ Sage and Lyman Halls, two recently renovated dormitories; and Waldron Gymnasium, an athletic center that includes an indoor swimming pool, basketball court, exercise gym, and locker rooms,” according to MinistryWatch.

Maintenance costs alone are expected to exceed $1 million, with Bhakta recommending in his RFP that interested parties have at least $1.5 million on hand annually to keep the facility in tiptop shape.

Vivek Saxena
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