The involvement of business interests in the politics of the United States, and the massive amount of money that it entails, put American elections in a class of their own.

Political contributions to the recently ended US presidential and congressional elections totalled an eye-watering US$15.9 billion, much of which represented the interests of corporations and ultra-high-net-worth individuals.

In an ideal world, political donations come with no strings attached. You have a photo opportunity with the candidate whose campaign fund you contributed to, or get invited to a fundraising dinner with the candidate in attendance.

But it is another story when millions are involved.