In hardly any other country does so much money flow from the super-rich into the presidential election campaign as in this one USA. The Vice President’s Campaigns Kamala Harris (60) and the former president Donald Trump (78) along with their Super Pacs this year, according to the Federal Election Commission Federal Election Commission
has already raised at least $1.3 billion. This does not include money from under-the-radar organizations that do not disclose their donors.
Super Pacs are political action committees through which many high-net-worth people donate to the US presidential election campaign. Super Pacs are allowed to receive and spend donations from private individuals, companies, unions or other Pacs without any limit, as long as they do not donate directly to a candidate.
So who wrote the biggest checks in this election campaign and to whom? Clearly, Trump is the one who receives the largest individual donations from the super-rich. Harris, on the other hand, receives smaller amounts in comparison, even if she has already earned more overall than Trump. An overview.
These are the biggest Harris supporters:
Bill Gates
Publicly supported Microsoft-Co-founder Bill Gates (68) Kamala Harris not yet. But he recently presented research to a pro-Harris organization “New York Times”
a check for $50 million.
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Keeps a low profile: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates donated $50 million to Harris away from the public
Photo: Christian Ditsch / epd / IMAGO
Gates apparently wanted to keep the donation secret. In the past, he refrained from making political statements in public. However, according to insiders, in conversations with friends he is said to have expressed concerns about a possible second Trump presidency. Also with his good friend Michael Bloomberg.
Michael Bloomberg
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Major donor: media mogul and politician Michael Bloomberg
Photo: Steven Ferdman / Getty Images
Harris received more than $19 million for her campaign, according to her campaign fundraising platform Open Secrets
previously from Bloomberg LP, the parent company of the news agency of the same name. The founder and majority owner is Michael Bloomberg (82). The media mogul and long-time mayor of New York City also had political ambitions of his own at times. In 2019, he ran for the 2020 presidential election, but lost in the Democratic primary. Bloomberg was not always a member of the Democratic Party; at times he switched to the Republicans. According to The New York Times, he is also one of the biggest supporters of the Pro-Harris Super Pac “Future Forward.”
Reid Hoffman
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“The smart money is on Harris”: LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman has been fighting against Trump since 2016
Photo: Frederic J. Brown / AFP
LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman (57) is one of the largest Democratic donors in the USA. This year he donated to the Super Pac “Future Forward”. according to Open Secrets
Already $10 million, his VC firm Greylock Partners donated more than $11 million to Harris, and additional money flowed to other Democratic groups. In recent months, Hoffman has been at the center of a debate alleging that he urged Harris after his donation Lina Khan
(35), the highest antitrust watchdog in the USA
, to fire. Hoffman, however rejects that
. But he said he hoped Khan would reconsider her mergers and acquisitions policies under a Harris government. A Harris campaign spokesman said there were no political discussions surrounding Khan. Hoffman sits on the board of directors of Microsoft. The tech company has often clashed with the FTC, the competition authority led by Khan.
George and Alex Soros
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Alex and George Soros: father and son support Harris
Photo: Planet Photos / ddp images
The Philanthropists George Soros (94) and his son Alexander (38), who now heads the billion-dollar Open Society Foundations, had separated after the withdrawal of Joe Biden (81) was one of the first major mega-donors to publicly support Harris. The Democracy Pac, founded by George Soros, gave money to the Harris camp according to Open Secrets
In the 2024 election cycle, the Soros Fund Management has already given more than $15 million to Democratic groups. The US investor is one of the richest people in the world with a fortune of $7.2 billion.
James and Marilyn Simons
Kamala Harris also receives large donations from philanthropist couple James and Marilyn Simons (73). The mathematician, who died this summer, is considered an investment legend. Jim Simons founded the hedge fund Renaissance Technology, known for its Medallion fund and its average annual return of 66 percent. Together with his wife Marilyn, Simons was committed to basic scientific research for decades as one of the largest private donors. Renaissance Technologies pumped according to Open Secrets
In 2024 alone, more than $13 million has been invested in the Democratic election campaign and the Simons Foundation has contributed $4 million.
These are the biggest donors in the Trump camp:
Tim Mellon
No one donates as much to Trump as he does, at least out loud Open Secrets
: Investor Timothy Mellon (82). The heir to the Mellon National Bank founder has already invested more than $125 million in the ex-president’s election campaign. The majority went to the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) Super Pac, which has already contributed a total of $321 million this year. The Mellon clan is one of the richest families in America with $14.1 billion. Last year, Tim Mellon also supported Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign with $5 million.
Miriam Adelson
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Always wearing rose-colored glasses: Doctor and casino billionaire Miriam Adelson finances the Super Pac “Preserve America”
Photo: Brian Snyder / REUTERS
As early as 2020, the conservative casino billionaire Miriam Adelson (79) donated to the Super Pac “Preserve America” for Trump, at that time together with her now deceased husband Sheldon Adelson. This time she is committed to the Super Pac as the main donor and is fully funding it. At Open Secrets
“Preserve America” is the third most important supporter with $100 million. So far, only the “Donald J Trump for President 2024” campaign and the Super Pac MAGA have contributed more. The doctor, who specializes in drug addiction, donates the money through her clinic for addicts, the “Adelson Clinic”.
The Republican mega-donor and avowed Israel supporter decrees according to Forbes
over a net worth of $35 billion. The native Israeli and her family own half of the gambling empires listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Adelson’s husband founded the company Las Vegas Sands, which developed and owns numerous luxury resorts in Macau and Singapore. Miriam Adeson also took over at the end of 2023 a majority stake in the NBA team “Dallas Mavericks”.
Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein
The founders of the mail order giant ULine, Richard “Dick” and Liz Uihlein, initially supported Trump’s Republican opponent Ron DeSantis (46). However, when he withdrew from the presidential race in January, the billionaire couple switched to the Trump camp. You have been one of the major donors in American politics for years. According to Open Secrets
Her company has already donated $127.9 million to various Republican groups this year alone, including $10 million to the Super Pac MAGA.
Elon Musk
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On the election campaign: Tesla boss Elon Musk is one of the biggest supporters with “America Pac”.
Photo: Alex Brandon / picture alliance / dpa / AP
The boss of Tesla, X and SpaceX, Elon Musk (53), made a political about-face. According to his own statements, he voted for Joe Biden (81) in the last US presidential election in 2020. The richest man in the world has now joined the Trump camp. In the spring, he even launched a Super Pac with the goal of pumping $180 million into the Republican election campaign.
More on the topic
The “America Pac,” which focuses on battleground states like Pennsylvania, has said Open Secrets
has so far donated $83.7 million to Trump. In total, the tech billionaire is said to have already supported Trump with around $119 million. If he wins the election, he even wants to give Musk a role in his cabinet. At the same time, Musk would be one of the biggest beneficiaries of Trump’s re-election.
Linda McMahon
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Leads Trump’s Transition Team: Linda McMahon formerly led the wrestling empire WWE
Photo: CQ-Roll Call / ddp images
She is not only a mega-donor, but also a long-time confidante of Trump: Linda McMahon (76) headed the small business authority in his first term in office. Now she leads Trump’s “Transition Team” together with Howard Lutnick (63), CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald. This prepares the transition period between elections and a change of government in the event of an election victory. Together with her husband Vince McMahon (79), she founded and ran the wrestling empire WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). She also counts out loud “New York Times”
and “Forbes”
among the largest donors.