The billionaires are having their say this election cycle.
A Forbes report revealed Wednesday that more than 100 billionaires have publicly thrown their support—and, for many, their cash—behind either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump.
A majority of these deep-pocketed donors quietly favor Harris, Forbes reported, while some of Trump’s billionaire backers—like Elon Musk, the richest man in the world—are incredibly vocal about where their loyalty lies.
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Below is a list of some of the most prominent billionaires cutting checks and wielding their influence in U.S. politics this election season.
Billionaire backers of Trump
Elon Musk - $248B net worth
Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. Musk, 53, has looked past some nasty insults Trump previously hurled at him and has used the full weight of his influence and checkbook to try to propel the former president back into the White House. That’s included Musk going full MAGA in daily social media posts where he rails against Democrats, Harris, and explicitly warns his 202 million X followers—and the millions of non-followers who still see his posts—that a Harris presidency would somehow mark the end of his social media platform and free speech as we know it. Musk, the richest man in the world, owns Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and more. He was born in South Africa but has lived in the U.S. since 1991 when he moved to attend the University of Pennsylvania. He’s donated nearly $75 million in the last three months to his pro-Trump “America PAC,” FEC filings show.
Timothy Mellon - $14B net worth
Timothy Mellon, a heir to the Mellon banking fortune who’s a recluse, isn’t remotely as outspoken as Musk but he’s just as generous with his donations to Trump. Mellon, 81, gave a whopping $50 million to Trump’s Super PAC Make America Great Again Inc. a day after the former president was convicted in his New York hush-money trial in May. That eye-popping check more than doubled the $34.5 million the PAC had on hand at the end of April and had an immediate impact, with the group announcing it’d used its new dough to drop $30 million on TV advertisements in Georgia and Pennsylvania. Earlier in the year, Mellon also cut checks for $25 million to separate PACs backing Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He’s given $127 million in total to Make America Great Again Inc. this cycle while, amazingly, not uttering a single word about it publicly.
Miriam Adelson - $35B net worth
Miriam Adelson, the widow of the casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, was Trump’s biggest donor in 2020 when she and her late hubby shelled out $220 million to Republican causes. She’s not quite reached that mark this election cycle—and even had a notable rift with Trump in August where he reportedly sent her a string of angry of texts—but she still given $95 million to her pro-Trump PAC in the third quarter of 2024, an FEC filing said on Tuesday. Adelson, 79, was born in Mandatory Palestine prior to the creation of the state of Israel, which she is now a citizen of. She’s long been a fervent supporter of Israel and recently spoke alongside Trump at an event that was centered around rooting out antisemitism. While Adelson has never publicly wavered in her support of Trump, she’s critiqued him on occasion. She told The New York Times in June that she’d like to see Trump be “less bombastic” and “speak more directly about the economy.” Adelson indicated in that same interview that her Trump donations came later in the game this election because she wouldn’t to donate to him while her pal, Nikki Haley, was still in the race.
Linda McMahon - $3.2B net worth
Linda McMahon and her husband, Vince, are longtime backers of Trump and figures within Republican politics. McMahon, 76, co-founded World Wrestling Entertainment, where she served as CEO until 2009. A North Carolina native, she ran for U.S. Senate as a Republican in Connecticut in 2010 and announced she’d spend $50 million of her own money to finance her campaign. She won the state’s primary despite opponents accusing her of “buying the election,” but lost in the general election to Sen. Richard Blumenthal. McMahon tried her luck again two years later by opposing Sen. Chris Murphy but suffered the same fate and lost. Her yearning for a job in Washington was fulfilled in 2017, however, when the newly-elected Trump appointed her as administrator of the Small Business Administration. She was confirmed by the Senate but resigned two years into the gig to take a job leading a pro-Trump Super PAC. She’s donated over $15 million to Make America Great Again Inc. since last summer.
Woody Johnson - $3.4B net worth
New York Jets owner Woody Johnson accumulated his billions as the heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune, but he’s no stranger to MAGA politics. He was the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom during Trump’s presidency and was reportedly asked by Trump to wield his influence and secure the British Open for his Scotland golf resort. Johnson, 77, wasn’t able to deliver Trump that sports-world victory, but he’s likely more than made up for it with his generous giving to Trump’s bid for a return to the White House. Along with his wife, Suzanne, the duo have combined to donate $2.7 million to Trump-affiliated groups and have sung the former president’s praises to the press. “I think it was one of the best speeches,” Johnson said of Trump after an April fundraiser. “You know, each one gets better and better.” Johnson added that night that Trump will be “a lot better” in a second term “because he knows what he’s doing now.”
Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein - $6B net worth
Richard and Elizabeth Uihleins, who go by Dick and Liz, are the founders of the shipping company ULine, which touts itself as North America’s biggest distributor of shipping, packaging, and industrial supplies. Dick, 79, is also an heir to the Schlitz brewing fortune. Based in Wisconsin, a key swing state, the couple pumped nearly $49 million into their conservative “Restoration PAC” in the last quarter, an FEC filing said Tuesday. Not all of that dough appears to be headed straight for Harris attacks advertisements, however. FEC records show Restoration PAC donated millions to groups like Moms for Liberty—the anti-LGBTQ, book-censoring conservative organization that’s worked to cut out discussion of race, gender, and sexuality in public school classrooms. The PAC has also given to Women Speak Out, a group that’s staunchly against abortion.
Jimmy John Liautaud - $2.4B net worth
Jimmy John Liautaud, a college dropout who turned a sandwich shop in his Illinois garage into the 2,600-location Jimmy John empire, became a billionaire in 2016 when he sold the majority of his business to a private equity firm. His wife backed Trump with donations in 2016 and 2020, but now Liautaud has gotten in on the action himself. Forbes reported the 60-year-old had donated $2.8 million to Trump groups as of August, while his spouse, Leslie, had chipped in $250,000.
Billionaire backers of Harris
George Soros - $7.2B net worth
There’s perhaps no Democratic donor in the 21st century who’s more famous—or infamous, depending who you ask—for his political giving than the 94-year-old George Soros. Oft-attacked by Republicans, the Hungarian-American businessman gave $60 million in April to a Super PAC, Fund for Policy Reform, that boosts Democrats nationwide, including the presidential ticket. While that massive check was signed before Harris was the party’s nominee, the Soros family was swift to indicate in July—mere hours after Joe Biden bowed out of the race—hat Harris had their backing. Soros’ son, Alex, is equally involved in American politics and has indicated he’ll keep up his dad’s political giving for decades to come. Alex, 38, is also engaged to Huma Abedin, a longtime adviser to Hillary Clinton.
Mike Bloomberg - $104B net worth
Mike Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City who launched his own failed—and uber-expensive—presidential bid as a Democrat in 2020 is also among the billionaires backing Harris. He’s given $19 million this cycle to Future Forward, a super PAC that supported Biden’s re-election bid and has since shifted to back Harris. Bloomberg, 82, also cut a $10 million check to the House Majority PAC, which supports down-ticket Democrats, and $7 million to the Everytown for Gun Safety group, which advocates for gun reform legislation. Born in Boston, Bloomberg amassed his wealth as the co-founder of the financial software and media company that bears his name. He’s been CEO of Bloomberg for decades, only taking a break from leadership during his three terms as New York City’s mayor. His donations aren’t limited to just political causes, with his foundation announcing in August that he was gifting $600 million “to help bolster the endowments of the nation’s four historically Black medical schools.”
Jeffrey Katzenberg - $2.1B net worth
Jeffrey Katzenberg, the former chairman of Walt Disney Studios, likely offers more in influence than he gives in donations. He’s long been a prominent political fundraiser in Hollywood and was named as one of Biden’s campaign co-chairs this election cycle—a position he’s stayed in even with Harris now leading the ticket. Reports said the 73-year-old movie mogul was among the people who warned Biden after his disaster of a debate performance in June that donor money was starting to dry up. While perhaps his biggest impact came from elsewhere, Katzenberg has still pulled out his checkbook to back Democrats a number of times over the years. The Los Angeles Times reported in June that Katzenberg and his wife, Marilyn, have donated more than $30 million to candidates, state parties, and causes since 1989.
Arthur Blank - $9.5B net worth
Arthur Blank, who co-founded Home Depot in the late 1970s after being fired from a regional hardware store, has become better known recently as the owner of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United. He’s a major philanthropist, with his foundation, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, awarding over $560 million over the decades. Blank has ramped up his political donations in recent years, giving $200,000 in 2020, $850,000 in 2022, and $1 million in 2024, according to Open Secrets. All of those donations were reportedly to Democrats or Democrat-linked groups. The 82-year-old also campaigned for Biden in Georgia, a key swing state, with him hosting a “high-dollar fundraiser” for the president in May—two months before Biden bowed out of the presidential race.
