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From the New York Times: After decades of sitting on the sidelines of politics, Bill Gates, one of the richest people in the world, has said privately that he recently donated about $50 million to a nonprofit organization that is supporting Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential run, according to three people briefed on the matter.
The donation was meant to stay under wraps. Mr. Gates, one of the founders of Microsoft, has not publicly endorsed Ms. Harris, and his donation would represent a significant change in the strategy that has previously kept him away from gifts like this.
In private calls this year to friends and others, Mr. Gates has expressed concern about what a second Donald Trump presidency would look like, according to a person briefed on Mr. Gates’s thinking, although he has stressed that he could work with either candidate. Mr. Gates does not have a deep relationship with Ms. Harris, but he has celebrated the Biden-Harris administration’s work on climate change. Mr. Gates’s philanthropic organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is significantly concerned about potential cuts to family planning and global health programs if Mr. Trump is elected, according to two people close to the foundation.
Mr. Gates has said he made his donation to Future Forward, the main outside fund-raising group supporting Ms. Harris, according to the people briefed on the matter. Mr. Gates has talked about his pro-Harris donation with his peers, including Mike Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor and a major supporter of Future Forward who has considered a similarly sized gift, two of the people briefed said. Mr. Gates’s donation went specifically to Future Forward’s nonprofit arm, Future Forward USA Action, which as a 501(c)(4) “dark money” organization does not disclose its donors, according to the people briefed. So any contribution by Mr. Gates will never appear on any public filing.
“Donating to a “dark money” group offers some protection: Some wealthy donors who support Ms. Harris are nervous about being publicly identified with her campaign for fear that Mr. Trump would seek revenge after November,” the Times wrote.
Despite that he just dumped $50 million into a group to help Harris win the Oval Office, Gates insisted in a statement to the NY Times that he is normally bipartisan. However, Gates claimed that “this election is different, with unprecedented significance for Americans and the most vulnerable people around the world.”
Gates’ former wife, Melinda French Gates, has also jumped into politics this year, becoming a mega donor for Harris, according to a NY Times report earlier this month:
At 60, Ms. French Gates has reinvented herself, surprisingly, as an ascendant Democratic megadonor. She has endorsed political candidates, given more than $13 million to groups supporting Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign, had her team talk to Ms. Harris’s advisers about a joint event, and publicly championed abortion rights, an issue she downplayed for decades because it was too politically fraught.
Bill Gates wants you to know he is totally, absolutely bipartisan, except that he just gave $50 million to elect Kamala Harris. From NYT: https://t.co/9WfHkaijnO
— Byron York (@ByronYork) October 23, 2024
In addition to Gates, liberal billionaire George Soros has also poured a fortune into supporting Democrats. Here’s just one example:
Soros’ Fund for Policy Reform poured $60 million into the Democracy PAC in the first quarter of this year, which then funneled millions of dollars into top Democratic committees benefiting House and Senate races, along with other liberal groups, FEC records posted on Monday show.
On the Republican side, billionaire Elon Musk has endorsed Trump and made a sizeable donation to a PAC supporting him.
Kamala Harris’ running mate, Minn. Gov. Tim Walz, raged against Musk during a recent campaign event, claiming Musk is helping Trump “buy an election,” while totally discounting the money Harris has received from Gates and Soros.
Tim Walz claims Elon Musk is helping Trump buy an election.
FYI, Democrats are outspending Republicans almost 3:1 — That means it’s Kamala and Timmy who are trying to buy an election, not President Trump. pic.twitter.com/EBuWZoFWEt
— ALEX (@ajtourville) October 22, 2024
Responding to Walz’s claims, Musk wrote, “Democrats greatly outspend Republicans, have 90% of legacy media & online media on their side, 90% of Hollywood celebs and a massive number of organizers on the ground. Frankly, it’s surprising that Republicans win at all!”
Democrats greatly outspend Republicans, have 90% of legacy media & online media on their side, 90% of Hollywood celebs and a massive number of organizers on the ground.
Frankly, it’s surprising that Republicans win at all! https://t.co/9l1NUILVl1
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 22, 2024
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