Here Are All the Billionaires Backing Donald Trump

Wed Aug 03 2016
Jim Andrews (506 articles)
Here Are All the Billionaires Backing Donald Trump

On Monday, Warren Buffett attacked Donald Trump’s business acumen, saying a monkey could have done far better running a public company than the Republican nominee did. Buffett also challenged Trump to release his tax returns.

Buffett is one of a number of billionaires who have lined up in support of the Democratic party contender, Hillary Clinton. Her endorsers also include mogul and former NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg and Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Still others are dissatisfied with both options for the executive office. At Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech conference in Aspen, Colo., this summer, the mega-wealthy industrialist Charles Koch, a longtime conservative backer, likened voting for either candidate to choosing between “cancer or a heart attack.” (We left him off the list.)

But when it comes to big bucks donors, Donald Trump is not going it alone, either.

The Republican party candidate for president has more than a dozen of billionaire backers supporting his campaign. Though Fortune and others have questioned Trump’s own personal wealth claims, other members of the three comma club have thrown their weight behind him.

Who among them has raised the Trump banner? People on the list range from Peter Thiel, the Silicon Valley investor of PayPal pypl and Facebook fb fame who keynoted this year’s Republican National Convention, to Sheldon Adelson, the Las Vegas Sands Casino lvs impresario, to Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets football team and heir to the Johnson & Johnson jnj fortune, to Carl Icahn, the rough-and-tumble activist investor and chairman of the eponymous Icahn Enterprises iep . (Sorry, Martin Shkreli, the ex-CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, did not make the cut.)

Here’s the lineup of ultra-rich bigwigs championing the reality television star-turned-politician in the 2016 election.

1. Peter Thiel

Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, delivers a speech at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.Photograph by Alex Wong—Getty Images

“Fake culture wars only distract us from our economic decline, and no one in this race is being honest about it except Donald Trump,” the Silicon Valley venture capitalist said onstage at this year’s Republican National Convention.

2. Carl Icahn

Billionaire activist investor Carl IcahnPhotograph by Victor J. Blue—Bloomberg via Getty Images

“I think you need somebody to shake up the establishment in Washington just like you do in corporate America,” Icahn told Fortune earlier this year.

3. Tom Barrack

Tom Barrack, chairman of Colony Capital Inc., speaking at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.Photograph by Daniel Acker—Bloomberg via Getty Images

The private equity veteran endorsed Trump, even though he said Trump once “played [him] like a Steinway piano” during a business deal.

4. Woody Johnson

Victoria’s Secret PINK model Jessica Hart, NY Jets Owner Woody Johnson, and his wife Suzanne Ircha JohnsonMichael Loccisano—Getty Images

The Johnson & Johnson jet-setter plans to host a fundraiser for Trump at his estate in East Hampton.

5. Stephen Feinberg

Stephen FeinbergCourtesy of Dow Jones Events

The cofounder and CEO of private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management previously pumped $ 200,000 into the political action committee that supported Jeb Bush.

6. Steven Mnuchin

Heather Mnuchin and Steven MnuchinPhotograph by Stefanie Keenan—Getty Images for LACMA

The hedge fund manager serves as Trump’s chief fundraiser and as head of his national finance committee.

7. Sheldon Adelson

Sheldon AdelsonPhotograph by Shahar Azran—Getty Images

“He’s our nominee,” the Sands casino magnate told the New York Times in May. “He won fair and square.”

8. Robert Mercer

Bob MercerAndrew Toth—Getty Images

This hedge fund manager and his daughter Rebekah have reportedly donated nearly $ 500,000 each to the Trump campaign.

9. T. Boone Pickens

T. Boone Pickens, chairman and CEO at BP CapitalPhotograph by David Paul Morris—Bloomberg via Getty Images

The 87-year-old Texas oil baron said that he’s “ready to take a chance on it,” and “just in case it’s a mistake, [I’ll] be gone.”

10. Stanley Hubbard

Stanley S. Hubbard and Lorne MichaelsPhotograph by Rahav Segev—WireImage

“I think anybody would be better than Clinton,” the media mogul told MinnPost, an online news outlet focused on all things Minnesota. “I think he’ll moderate himself.”

11. Darwin Deason

Darwin DeasonPhotograph by Hillsman S. Jackson — Southern Methodist University

The tech entrepreneur and his wife Katerina have reportedly donated nearly $ 500,000 each to Trump’s cause.

12. Wilbur Ross

Wilbur Ross, U.S. billionaire, chairman and CEO of WL Ross & Co. LLC.Photograph by Chris Ratcliffe—Bloomberg via Getty Images

The cost of a plate at a Trump fundraising luncheon held at the investor’s Southampton estate was $ 25,000.

13. Andrew Beal

CEO of Beal Bank Andy BealPhotograph by Matthew Mahon—Redux

“All these politicians with all these specific plans,” the banker groused to the New York Times when explaining his support for Trump. “I think it’s total [expletive].”

14. John Paulson

John A. Paulson, president of Paulson & Co.Rick Maiman—Bloomberg via Getty Images

Paulson, who made his fortune betting against the housing market before its collapse a decade ago, co-hosted a supremely pricey Trump fundraising event at Le Cirque, a French restaurant in Manhattan.

Jim Andrews

Jim Andrews

Jim Andrews is Desk Correspondent for Global Stock, Currencies, Commodities & Bonds Market . He has been reporting about Global Markets for last 5+ years. He is based in New York