Billionaire Timothy Mellon, heir to the Mellon banking empire and grandson of former Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon, donated an astounding $50 million to Make America Great Again Inc., a super PAC dedicated to the re-election of President Donald Trump.
This donation came just one day after Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts in his New York hush money trial, according to Quartz, citing records filed with the Federal Election Commission.
The super PAC reportedly raised nearly $70 million last month, with Mellon’s contribution making up almost three-quarters of the total funds. This immense financial support signifies Mellon’s steadfast commitment to the former President’s cause and his faith in the MAGA movement.
BBC reported:
According to Forbes magazine, Mr Mellon is a descendant of Thomas Mellon, an Irish immigrant who amassed a fortune in real estate and banking after arriving in the US in 1818.
The Mellon family – which also included Mr Mellon’s grandfather Andrew, a former US treasury secretary – is today worth over $14bn (£11bn). Forbes estimates that that the Mellons are the 34th richest family in the US.
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Even before his recent donation to the Trump campaign, Mr Mellon has a history of donating to conservative candidates and causes.
In 2010, Mr Mellon donated about $1.5m to the state of Arizona to defray the legal costs to defend SB 1070, a controversial anti-immigration bill.
More recently, Mr Mellon helped bankroll Texas governor Greg Abbott’s construction of a wall along the Mexican border, providing more than $53m for the project in 2021.
He also has given money to various Republican-aligned super PACS – or “political action committees” – to support conservative candidates.
The 81-year-old billionaire is not alone in his support for Trump. His generous donation aligns him with a growing number of billionaires who have openly backed the former President.
The billionaire Winklevoss twins endorsed Trump for president and donated $2 million to his 2024 campaign.
Only moments after the 34 guilty charges were announced, Sequoia Capitol Partner Shaun Maguire made a $300,000 donation to Trump’s 2024 campaign.
A Silicon Valley mogul, Jacob Helberg, who previously supported a variety of Democratic campaigns, has switched his allegiance and donated $1 million to Donald Trump.
New Dallas Mavericks majority owner and casino tycoon Miriam Adelson has confirmed her backing for Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign by pledging to be a primary financier for the Preserve America super PAC.
Several other billionaires have also made significant donations to Trump’s campaign:
- Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, scions of the Uline shipping and packing company, contributed a combined $10 million to MAGA Inc.
- Bernie Marcus, co-founder of Home Depot, gave $1 million to Trump’s main super PAC, MAGA Inc., in the second half of 2023.
- Isaac Perlmutter, former chairman and CEO of Marvel Entertainment, and his wife Laura made the largest donation of $10.1 million to a new pro-Trump super PAC, Right for America, in the first quarter.
- Linda McMahon, co-founder of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), donated $11 million to support Trump this election cycle, making her his second-largest donor after Mellon.
