Former President Donald Trump’s fundraising efforts have been gaining momentum, with his campaign raising $331 million in the second quarter of 2024, surpassing President Joe Biden’s campaign and its Democratic allies, which raised $264 million in the same period.
Trump’s campaign has been actively seeking donations from high-dollar donors, with a recent fundraising invitation obtained by The Associated Press showing that donations to the Trump 47 Committee will first be used to give the maximum amount allowed under federal law to Trump’s campaign, with anything left over going toward a maximum contribution to Save America, and then to the RNC and state political parties.
Who are Trump’s biggest donors?
In 2016, Trump’s biggest donors included:
- Todd Ricketts, who gave $63,835 to Republicans and was named by Trump as deputy secretary of commerce. Ricketts’ family, who founded TD Ameritrade and own the Chicago Cubs, are among the Republican Party’s top benefactors, having given more than $15.7 million to Republicans in 2016 and more than $26 million in previous cycles.
- Betsy DeVos, Trump’s choice for Department of Education, and her family, heirs to auto parts and multi-level marketing fortunes, spent $10.4 million in the 2016 election cycle, including $445,000 to Trump’s joint fundraising committee and one of the super PACs supporting him.
- Linda McMahon, the wrestling magnate Trump named to head the Small Business Administration, gave $6 million to a pro-Trump super PAC. She and her husband, Vince, are also the largest donors to Trump’s foundation.
- Andy Puzder, CEO of the parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s fast food chains, and his wife gave $160,000 to Trump Victory and more than $600,000 to other Republicans in the 2016 election cycle.
- Steven Mnuchin, Trump’s pick for treasury secretary, personally gave $425,000, but was arguably responsible for almost everything Trump raised as his campaign’s finance chairman.
His current donors in this election cycle
In the current election cycle, Trump’s biggest donors include:
- Robert Bigelow, a Nevada real estate investor, who gave $20 million to outside spending groups supporting Ron DeSantis, Trump’s rival for the Republican nomination.
- Douglas Leone, global managing partner at venture capital group Sequoia, who gave $2 million to support DeSantis.
- Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, conservative packaging executives from Wisconsin, who gave a combined $2 million to support DeSantis. Richard Uihlein was previously a Trump donor and one of the biggest financial backers of the January 6, 2021, “March to Save America” rally at the Capitol that preceded the deadly riot.
- Jan Koum, co-founder of WhatsApp, who gave $5 million in support of the presidential bid of Nikki Haley, former South Carolina governor and Trump’s rival for the Republican nomination.
Donald Trump’s fundraising efforts have been successful, with his campaign raising millions of dollars from high-dollar donors. While some of his biggest donors from the 2016 election cycle, such as Todd Ricketts and Betsy DeVos, have not been as active in this election cycle, new donors have emerged, including Robert Bigelow and Jan Koum.
Trump’s campaign has been actively seeking donations from high-dollar donors, with a recent fundraising invitation showing that donations to the Trump 47 Committee will first be used to give the maximum amount allowed under federal law to Trump’s campaign, with anything left over going toward a maximum contribution to save America, and then to the RNC and state political parties.
