World Business Chicago is an organization comprised of Mayor Emanuel’s hand-picked group of top business executives, and is funded in part with taxpayer money. The company will take in and pay out the money raised from donors. When asked whether the identities of the donors would be disclosed, WBC vice chairman Michael Sacks said that the board would decide.

"We want to be as transparent as we can be without jeopardizing our mission, and we are looking for ways — and going to discuss and ultimately conclude on ways — we can be more transparent," Sacks said. "When you have businesses that you're talking to about relocating to Chicago, the last thing you can afford to do is let people know about it. That is a confidential process, and we can't ever violate that confidentiality."