Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Delaware Wilmington Corporation Trust Center

Corporation Trust Center

A drab two-story office space in Delaware is a hidden tax haven for Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, and over half the Fortune 500 companies.

Wilmington, Delaware

Added By
Lew Blank
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
1209 N Orange Street   Davidt8 / Public Domain
Front entrance to Corporation Trust Center   Map Data © 2016 Google
Entire building   Map Data © 2016 Google
Corporation Trust Center   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Corporation Trust Center   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
  marthabwiley / Atlas Obscura User
Corporation Trust Center   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Sitting unnoticed on the streets of Wilmington, Delaware is a bland, two-story office building called the Corporation Trust Center, a name that is quite unfitting considering that what happens behind its glass doors are some of the very least trustworthy corporate activities.

1209 North Orange Street is the legal address of a whopping 285,000 American businesses as of 2012, making the little Corporation Trust Center the largest corporate facility in the world by a number of firms. As the registered home of Google, Apple, Walmart, American Airlines, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Coca-Cola, the center is home to more businesses than there are people in Wilmington.

What draws companies to the Corporation Trust Center is not its drab, yellow brick exterior, but rather the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL), often referred to as the single most important corporate jurisdiction since the beginning of the 20th century. The DGCL allows businesses based in other states to file their taxes in Delaware, whose unusually low corporate tax rate saves major corporations billions in taxes.

The DGCL is so lucrative for big business that over 300 of the Fortune 500 are incorporated in Delaware. It's so corporate friendly, in fact, that every year, 15% of all public corporations in the United States use the exact same building as their tax haven. These hundreds of thousands of tax-avoiding businesses include firms under the names of the two 2016 presidential candidates: For all their many differences, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both have companies registered at the same Orange Street address. 

Related Tags

Taxes Wealth Presidents Politics Elections

Community Contributors

Added By

lewblank

Edited By

collinqburke, Blindcolour, blimpcaptain, marthabwiley

  • collinqburke
  • Blindcolour
  • blimpcaptain
  • marthabwiley

Published

October 18, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/apr/25/delaware-tax-loophole-1209-north-orange-trump-clinton
  • http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/business/how-delaware-thrives-as-a-corporate-tax-haven.html?_r=0
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporation_Trust_Center_(CT_Corporation)
  • https://www.theodysseyonline.com/delaware-loophole
  • http://www.corp.delaware.gov/aboutagency.shtml
  • https://www.google.com/search?q=populationof+wilmington+de&rlz=1CAHPZY_enUS714&oq=populationof+wilmington+de&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.4013j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#safe=strict&q=population+of+wilmington+de
  • https://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-area-calculator-tool.htm
Corporation Trust Center
1209 N Orange St
Wilmington, Delaware
United States
39.748427, -75.54772
Get Directions

Nearby Places

McKinley Monument

Wilmington, Delaware

miles away

One Love Park

Wilmington, Delaware

miles away

Hendrickson House Museum

Wilmington, Delaware

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Wilmington

Wilmington

Delaware

Places 19
Stories 1

Nearby Places

McKinley Monument

Wilmington, Delaware

miles away

One Love Park

Wilmington, Delaware

miles away

Hendrickson House Museum

Wilmington, Delaware

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Wilmington

Wilmington

Delaware

Places 19
Stories 1

Related Places

  • “WALDORF ASTORIA · DONALD T. · THE VILLAGE”

    Oslo, Norway

    Donald Trump Bench

    This unlikely 1980s relic at a bus station recalls the New York real estate tycoon before his political career.

  • Lilongwe, Malawi

    Hastings Kamuzu Banda Mausoleum

    In Malawi, this is where the lion sleeps tonight.

  • Harrislee, Germany

    'Das Wahlversprechen' ('The Election Promise')

    These hilariously laughing bronze figures lampoon empty promises while encouraging civic engagement.

  • Rutherford B. Hayes exhibit

    Villa Hayes, Paraguay

    Museo Municipal de Villa Hayes

    How did 19th U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes become so beloved in Paraguay?

  • Nixon’s Army One helicopter

    Yorba Linda, California

    Richard Nixon's Resignation Helicopter

    The helicopter that "Tricky Dick" absconded from the White House in on his last day in office.

  • Plaque marking the spot where Goebel was shot

    Frankfort, Kentucky

    Site of William Goebel's Assassination

    The 34th governor of Kentucky was sworn into office while on his deathbed after being shot outside the State House.

  • Arthur’s Cottage Entrance.

    Cullybackey, Northern Ireland

    Arthur Cottage

    The ancestral home of the 21st president of the United States of America.

  • James K Polk Historic Site

    Pineville, North Carolina

    James K. Polk Historic Site

    These cabins mark the site where our 11th president was born (probably).

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.