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Walmart heiress Christy Walton was the first billionaire to make a contribution to The Lincoln Project this year.
Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
“There’s mourning in America,” began a Lincoln Project video released in May. “Today, more than 60,000 Americans have died from a deadly virus Donald Trump ignored.” The advertisement, a riff on Ronald Reagan’s famous “Morning in America” commercial, prompted President Trump to go on a Twitter tirade.
It also apparently prompted some very rich people to reach into their wallets. At the time, the Lincoln Project, a super-PAC that can raise unlimited sums from donors, had gathered just $1.9 million, including $20,000 from billionaire Walmart heiress Christy Walton, according to Federal Election Commission filings available in May. By Nov. 23, the group has raised $82.6 million, including more than $3.3 million from 24 billionaires and spouses of billionaires.
The top billionaire donors were hedge funder Stephen Mandel Jr. and oil heir Gordon Getty, who each contributed $1 million. Media tycoon David Geffen gave $500,000. Sequoia Capital partner Michael Moritz, Providence Equity Partners CEO Jonathan Nelson, and Hyatt heirs Jennifer and John Pritzker each gave $100,000.
While most of the billionaire donors were longtime Democratic donors, the group also received money from some right-leaning billionaires. For example, Jennifer Pritzker donated more than $250,000 to committees supporting Trump in 2016, and Robert Ziff gave $250,000 to a super-PAC trying to Republicans running for Congress elected in 2018.
While the Lincoln Project devoted the majority of its advertising dollars to the presidential race, the group also spent millions trying (unsuccessfully) to help Democratic Senate candidates in Montana, South Carolina, Maine and Alaska. There’s still two more races, both for Georgia Senate seats, which will determine control of the U.S. Senate. The Lincoln Project, founded by a group of anti-Trump Republicans, is putting its money behind Democratic candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
Here’s a closer look at who the Lincoln Project’s donors are, and how much they’ve given this year.
Net worth: $2.1 billion
Source of wealth: Getty Oil
Contributions: $1 million
Net worth: $2.8 billion
Source of wealth: Hedge funds
Contributions: $1 million
Net worth: $9.4 billion
Source of wealth: movies, record labels
Contributions: $500,000
Martha Karsh, wife of Bruce Karsh
Spouse’s net worth: $2.1 billion
Source of wealth: Private equity
Contributions: $110,000
Net worth: $3.6 billion
Source of wealth: Cable television
Contributions: $100,282
Liz Lefkofsky, wife of Eric Lefkofsky
Spouse’s net worth: $3.2 billion
Source of wealth: Groupon
Contributions: $100,000
Net worth: $5.3 billion
Source of wealth: Venture capital
Contributions: $100,000
Net worth: $2 billion
Source of wealth: Private equity
Contributions: $100,000
Net worth: $1.9 billion
Source of wealth: Hotels, investments
Contributions: $100,000
Net worth: $2.5 billion
Source of wealth: Hotels, investments
Contributions: $100,000
Net worth: $8 billion
Source of wealth: Walmart
Contributions: $65,000
Net worth: $1.3 billion
Source of wealth: Retail
Contributions: $20,000
Anne T. Bass, wife of Robert Bass
Spouse’s net worth: $4.8 billion
Source of wealth: Oil, investments
Contributions: $10,000
Net worth: $3.1 billion
Source of wealth: Cargill
Contributions: $10,000
Net worth: $1.2 billion
Source of wealth: Venture capital investing
Contributions: $10,000
Net worth: $5 billion
Source of wealth: Investments
Contributions: $10,000
Karen Finerman, wife of Lawrence Golub
Spouse’s net worth: $1.2 billion
Source of wealth: Private equity
Contributions: $5,000
Net worth: $1.2 billion
Source of wealth: Hedge funds
Contributions: $4,000
Net worth: $1.2 billion
Source of wealth: Levi’s jeans
Contributions: $1,500
Net worth: $2.4 billion
Source of wealth: Bloomberg LP
Contributions: $1,500
Lizzie Tisch, wife of Jonathan Tisch
Spouse’s net worth: $1.3 billion
Source of wealth: Insurance, NFL team
Contributions: $1,000
Elizabeth Fisher, wife of Robert Fisher
Net worth: $1.6 billion
Source of wealth: Gap
Contributions: $500
Delle Maxwell, wife of Patrick Hanrahan
Spouse’s net worth: $1.9 billion
Source of wealth: Software
Contributions: $500