Friday, November 1, 2024
Business

Elon Musk is campaigning for Donald Trump but these are are the billionaires and business titans supporting Kamala Harris

The U.S. presidential election is just a few weeks away, and each candidate—and their supporters—is doing everything they can to make their final appeal to voters.

Elon Musk campaigned for Donald Trump in Pennsylvania this week, asking people to vote early for the candidate in a critical tossup state. He’s been an outspoken supporter of the candidate, and has spent more than $70 million to help Trump and other Republicans get elected this year. 

But while Musk has successfully grabbed headlines this week, a plethora of other business titans have lined up behind Kamala Harris. On Thursday, Mark Cuban campaigned for Harris in Wisconsin, mocking Trump’s tariff proposals as “gibberish,” and adding he was the “same guy who also thought that Mexico would pay for the wall.” 

Harris has also been the recipient of donations from tech billionaires like Laurene Powell Jobs, Sam Altman, and David Ellison. Mike Bloomberg has donated around $19 million to a super PAC supporting Kamala Harris’ campaign.

These are some of the billionaires and business titans supporting Harris in her last dash to the finish line this November. 

Mark Cuban

Mark Cuban has persistently been outspoken against the policies and rhetoric of Donald Trump and his supporters. In Wisconsin this week, the Shark Tank billionaire appealed to company leaders and said this election was a “battle for entrepreneurs,” and that a second Trump administration would devastate small businesses. Despite his appearance on the campaign train, however, Cuban has said he will not donate to any political parties, and did not send any money to Harris-supporting super PACs.

Reid Hoffman and Michelle Yee

Hoffman and his wife Michelle Yee are major donors for the Democratic party. The LinkedIn co-founder and billionaire and his partner have given $10 million this political cycle to the Future Forward PAC, which supports Harris. They have also donated $6 million to the anti-Trump Republican Accountability PAC, and more than $2 million to the One for All Committee. 

Sam Altman

The OpenAI CEO and multi-billionaire has donated to the Harris Victory Fund, and has had a longstanding history of donating to Democratic politicians. 

Taylor Swift

The whole world was holding its breath for the biggest global popstar to make her endorsement. And last month shortly after the debate between Harris and Trump, Swift made her decision.

In a lengthy Instagram post the singer said she would be casting her vote for Harris, because “she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.” Her post currently has over 11.3 million likes.

Mike Bloomberg

New York billionaire Mike Bloomberg has not been shy with his donations and support towards Kamala Harris. Bloomberg has given $19 million this political cycle to the Future Forward super PAC supporting the Democratic campaign. He has also donated $7 million to the Everytown for Gun Safety super PAC, and $10 million towards the House Majority PAC aimed at supporting Democrats in House races. 

Sheryl Sandberg

The billionaire former COO of Meta showed her support for Harris via an Instagram post this July shortly following President Joe Biden’s decision to not run for a second term. Sandberg wrote of Harris: “She is an accomplished leader, a fierce advocate of abortion rights, and the strongest candidate to lead our country forward.”

Reed Hastings

The co-founder and executive chair of Netflix has donated $7 million to a super PAC supporting Harris—the largest single campaign contribution the billionaire has ever made to a politician. 

Ron Conway

The billionaire venture capitalist and founder of SV Angel, was among hundreds of signers in a “VCs for Harris” pledge. The letter reads that “strong, trustworthy institutions are a feature, not a bug, and that our industry — and every other industry — would collapse without them. That is what’s at stake in this election.”

Vinod Kholsa 

The billionaire OpenAI investor and founder of Sun Microsystems is no stranger to supporting the Democratic party. He hosted a fundraiser for Biden’s campaign in May of this year, then quickly pivoted his support for Harris. He is also a signer of the “VCs for Harris” pledge. 

David Ellison

Ellison, the founder and CEO of Skydance and leader of the Paramount merger, was among 88 business leaders who signed an open letter endorsing Harris for president. He also made a six-figure donation to the Harris Victory Fund. 

Melinda French Gates

In an interview on CBS Mornings, billionaire philanthropist Melinda French Gates vocalized why she is supporting Harris for president, citing her stance on reproductive freedom, paid family medical leave, and support for caregivers. “She has always been outspoken on these topics,” said Gates, ”and I think she’s a woman of our time.”

In a separate interview with Vanity Fair, Gates said she made a “substantial” donation to the Harris-Walz campaign.

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