This is the second installment of a four-part series exploring the money billionaires poured into the 2020 election. Part 1. Part 3. Part 4.
Three years ago, Joe Biden spoke onstage at a think tank event, opining on wealth in America. “I love Bernie, but I’m not Bernie Sanders. I don’t think 500 billionaires are the reason why we’re in trouble,” he explained. “The folks at the top aren’t bad guys. I get in trouble in my party when I say wealthy Americans are just as patriotic as poor folks. I’ve found no distinction.”
And, based on who they supported during the 2020 election, billionaires don’t think Joe Biden is such a bad guy, either. About 25% of America’s billionaires donated to his election efforts, either directly or through a spouse, according to an analysis of records filed with the Federal Election Commission. By contrast, Donald Trump received money from only 14% of American billionaires.
The 230 Biden backers include the founders of companies like Patagonia, DoorDash and Netflix, Democratic megadonors like George Soros and Henry Laufer, as well as billionaire members of some of the country’s richest families like the Waltons, the Pritzkers and the Lauders. Broadly, they tended to hail from the coasts. More than one third live in California. Another 27% are based in New York. It makes sense, then, that about a quarter of them got rich in tech and a third made their fortunes in finance. On average, the billionaires gave about $170,000 to the Biden campaign and its joint-fundraising committees, which split their receipts with the Democratic Party.
How Joe Biden’s Donors Got Rich
Forbes found 230 billionaires or spouses of billionaires who donated to Biden’s campaign ahead of the 2020 election. They built their fortunes in 12 industries.
Source: Federal Election Commission filings; Forbes Real-Time Billionaires list
Some donors did more than just write checks. After losing to Biden in the primary, Tom Steyer hosted fundraisers for his former foe. Nicole Systrom, who is married to Instagram founder Kevin Systrom, joined Steyer for at least one event. Before the pandemic, these sorts of events could be held at a donor’s home. Or, in the case of billionaire real estate broker George Marcus, who hosted Biden in 2019, at a restaurant he owned in California. Eventually, the Democratic front-runner shifted his events to video calls, where he or Kamala Harris would hop on the line to make a speech and take questions. Other billionaire hosts included former Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and Blackstone executive Hamilton James.
“Whether that’s a high-dollar, in-person fundraising event or a high-dollar virtual event, there’s a certain amount of access that comes with making those large contributions to the joint-fundraising committees,” says Michael Beckel, the research director at a campaign finance nonprofit called Issue One.
Some of Biden’s donors also became so-called bundlers by rallying others to open their wallets. At least ten billionaires helped raise an additional $100,000, according to a list released by the campaign. Hedge funder Stephen Mandel, venture capitalist John Doerr and Chicago real estate magnate Neil Bluhm all helped gather money from associates.
At least 60 Biden donors also contributed to some of the major pro-Biden super-PACs. Those groups can’t coordinate with campaigns directly, but they can accept and spend unlimited sums. Facebook cofounder Dustin Moskovitz gave $47 million to one super-PAC. LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman poured more than $7 million into other pro-Biden super-PACs and into ads opposing Trump. Mike Bloomberg never donated directly to Biden’s campaign, but he threw $100 million into super-PACs supporting the Democratic nominee.
Not every billionaire backer spent big, though. About 25% of Biden’s ultrawealthy donors never gave more than $5,000.
It remains unclear exactly what the billionaires will get for a return on their investments. “Biden has laid out an ambitious policy agenda, much of which wealthy people and corporations will not like,” says Robert Maguire, research director of Citizens for Responsible Ethics in Washington. “Now that he has had that support from so many wealthy people who are connected to so many major companies that will be impacted by his agenda, you have to wonder whether he’s going to have pause, or whether there’s going to be pushback.”
Here are Biden’s richest donors, grouped by the industries they built their fortunes in, and sorted by the amount they gave to Biden’s campaign and two joint-fundraising committees. You can explore this in more depth at our interactive donor tool.
AUTOMOTIVE
Herb Chambers
- Net worth:$1.8 billion *
- Source of wealth: Car dealerships
- Contributions: $25,000**
- Net worth:$18.7 billion
- Source of wealth: Used cars
- Contributions: $5,600
Marta Thoma Hall, wife of David Hall
- Spouse’s net worth:$1 billion
- Source of wealth: Automotive technology
- Contributions: $1,400
DIVERSIFIED
Laurie Tisch
- Net worth:$1.1 billion
- Source of wealth: Insurance, NFL team (New York Giants)
- Contributions: $198,400
- Net worth:$1.3 billion
- Source of wealth: Insurance, NFL team (New York Giants)
- Contributions: $166,200
Len & Emily Blavatnik
- Net worth:
- Source of wealth: Music, chemicals
- Contributions: $55,600
ENERGY
- Net worth:$2.1 billion
- Source of wealth: Getty Oil
- Contributions: $500,000
Myra Block, wife of George Kaiser
- Spouse’s net worth: $5.5 billion
- Source of wealth: Oil & gas, banking
- Contributions: $1,500
FASHION & RETAIL
Lukas Walton
- Net worth:$17.3 billion
- Source of wealth: Walmart
- Contributions: $360,600
- Net worth:$1.6 billion
- Source of wealth: Estée Lauder
- Contributions: $245,550
Jo Carole Lauder, wife of Ronald Lauder
- Spouse’s net worth:$5.4 billion
- Source of wealth: Estée Lauder
- Contributions: $180,600
Ralph Lauren
- Net worth:$6.6 billion
- Source of wealth: Apparel
- Contributions: $150,000
- Net worth:$2.7 billion
- Source of wealth: Columbia Sportswear
- Contributions: $130,600
- Net worth:$1.7 billion
- Source of wealth: Gap
- Contributions: $102,800
Vivine Wang, wife of Roger Wang
- Spouse’s net worth:$3.7 billion
- Source of wealth: Retail
- Contributions: $100,000
- Net worth:$1.3 billion
- Source of wealth: Retail
- Contributions: $68,100
Eric Zinterhofer, husband of Aerin Lauder
- Spouse’s net worth:$3.9 billion
- Source of wealth: Estée Lauder
- Contributions: $52,800
Michael Rubin
- Net worth:$3.5 billion
- Source of wealth: Online retail
- Contributions: $50,000
Mimi Haas
- Net worth:$1.3 billion
- Source of wealth: Levi’s jeans
- Total contributions: $11,500
- Net worth: $1.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Patagonia
- Contributions: $5,600
Judith Glickman Lauder, wife of Leonard Lauder
- Spouse’s net worth:$25.6 billion
- Source of wealth: Estée Lauder
- Contributions: $2,800
Jeannie Nordstrom, wife of Bruce Nordstrom
- Spouse’s net worth: $1.1 billion
- Source of wealth: Nordstrom department stores
- Contributions: $2,000
Joan Alfond, wife of Bill Alfond
- Spouse’s net worth:$2 billion
- Source of wealth: Shoes
- Contributions: $1,000
FINANCE & INVESTMENTS
- Net worth:$1.3 billion
- Source of wealth: Venture capital
- Contributions: $1.7 million
- Net worth:$3.4 billion
- Source of wealth: Hotels, investments
- Contributions: $1.4 million
- Net worth:$23.5 billion
- Source of wealth: Hedge funds
- Contributions: $1.1 million
Tom Steyer & Kat Taylor
- Net worth:$1.4 billion
- Source of wealth: Hedge funds
- Contributions: $1.1 million
- Net worth:$2.1 billion
- Source of wealth: Hedge funds
- Contributions: $946,200
- Net worth:$2.1 billion
- Source of wealth: Private equity
- Contributions: $839,100
- Net worth:$2.8 billion
- Source of wealth: Hedge funds
- Contributions: $721,200
George Soros & Tamiko Bolton
- Net worth:$8.6 billion
- Source of wealth: Hedge funds
- Contributions: $505,850
- Net worth:$1.7 billion
- Source of wealth: Hotels, investments
- Contributions: $318,800
- Net worth:$4 billion
- Source of wealth: Private equity
- Contributions: $300,000
- Net worth:$4.6 billion
- Source of wealth:Investments
- Contributions: $280,600
- Net worth:$6.9 billion
- Source of wealth: Investments
- Contributions: $258,400
William Conway Jr.
- Net worth:$3.3 billion
- Source of wealth: Private equity
- Contributions: $250,000
Jennifer Pritzker
- Net worth:$1.9 billion
- Source of wealth: Hotels, investments
- Contributions: $249,000
Penny Pritzker & Bryan Traubert
- Net worth:$2.9 billion
- Source of wealth: Hotels, investments
- Contributions: $111,355
- Net worth:$1.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Private equity
- Contributions: $111,350
Thomas Hagen
- Net worth:$4.6 billion
- Source of wealth: Insurance
- Contributions: $255,600
- Net worth:$6.5 billion
- Source of wealth: Hedge funds
- Contributions: $224,200
- Net worth:$2.5 billion
- Source of wealth: Hotels, investments
- Contributions: $205,600
Debra Black, wife of Leon Black
- Spouse’s net worth:$8.7 billion
- Source of wealth: Private equity
- Contributions: $200,000
- Net worth:$2.3 billion
- Source of wealth: Private equity
- Contributions: $200,000
- Net worth:$2.1 billion
- Source of wealth: Private equity
- Contributions: $161,300
- Net worth:$3.3 billion
- Source of wealth: Hedge funds
- Contributions: $105,600
Hamilton James
- Net worth:$2 billion
- Source of wealth: Investments
- Contributions: $102,800
Antony Ressler
- Net worth:$4.4 billion
- Source of wealth: Finance
- Contributions: $100,000
David Bonderman & Laurie Michaels
- Net worth:$4 billion
- Source of wealth: Private equity
- Contributions: $73,800
James Dinan & Elizabeth Miller
- Net worth:$2 billion
- Source of wealth: Hedge funds
- Contributions: $55,850
Judy Dimon, wife of Jamie Dimon
- Spouse’s net worth:$1.7 billion
- Source of wealth: Banking (JPMorgan Chase)
- Contributions: $52,800
Sam Bankman-Fried
- Net worth:$4.5 billion
- Source of wealth: Cryptocurrency
- Contributions: $50,000
Chris Larsen
- Net worth:$2.9 billion
- Source of wealth: Cryptocurrency
- Contributions: $50,000
Paul Tudor Jones
- Net worth:$5.8 billion
- Source of wealth: Hedge funds
- Contributions: $50,000
Marc Lasry
- Net worth:$1.8 billion
- Source of wealth: Hedge funds
- Contributions: $43,900
Pablo Legorreta
- Net worth:$3 billion
- Source of wealth: Investments
- Contributions: $25,000
Anna Chapman, wife of Ronald Perelman
- Spouse’s net worth:$6.8 billion
- Source of wealth:Leveraged buyouts
- Contributions: $12,500
- Net worth:$1.5 billion
- Source of wealth: Investments
- Contributions: $11,200
- Net worth:$5 billion
- Source of wealth: Investments
- Contributions: $11,200
- Net worth:$5 billion
- Source of wealth: Investments
- Contributions: $11,200
Lisa Piazza, wife of David Golub
- Spouse’s net worth:$1.1 billion
- Source of wealth: Private equity
- Contributions: $10,000
Abigail Johnson & Christopher McKown
- Net worth: $15 billion
- Source of wealth: Money management
- Contributions: $5,600
Michelle Locher, wife of Robert Ziff
- Spouse’s net worth:$5 billion
- Source of wealth: Investments
- Contributions: $5,600
Margaret Loeb, wife of Daniel Loeb
- Spouse’s net worth:$3 billion
- Source of wealth: Hedge funds
- Contributions: $5,600
John Pritzker
- Net worth:$2.5 billion
- Source of wealth: Hotels, investments
- Contributions: $5,600
Karen Pritzker
- Net worth:$5 billion
- Source of wealth: Hotels, investments
- Contributions: $5,600
David Siegel
- Net worth:$6.5 billion
- Source of wealth: Hedge funds
- Contributions: $5,600
Sandra Tamer, wife of Tony Tamer
- Spouse’s net worth:$4 billion
- Source of wealth: Private equity
- Contributions: $5,600
Heather Baker, wife of Felix Baker
- Spouse’s net worth:$1.4 billion
- Source of wealth: Biotech investing
- Contributions: $5,600
Joseph Edelman
- Net worth:$1.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Hedge funds
- Contributions: $5,600
Jose Feliciano& Kwanza Jones
- Net worth:$2.1 billion
- Source of wealth:Private equity
- Contributions: $5,600
Margot Pritzker, wife of Thomas Pritzker
- Spouse’s net worth:$4.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Hotels, investments
- Contributions: $4,300
Linnea Roberts, wife of George Roberts
- Net worth: $7.6 billion
- Source of wealth: Private equity
- Contributions: $3,800
Karen Finerman, wife of Lawrence Golub
- Spouse’s net worth:$1.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Private equity
- Contributions: $2,800
Thomas Lee
- Net worth:$2 billion
- Source of wealth: Private equity
- Contributions: $2,800
Greg Mondre
- Net worth:$1.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Private equity
- Contributions: $2,800
Susan Sarofim, wife of Fayez Sarofim
- Spouse’s net worth:$1.4 billion
- Source of wealth: Money management
- Contributions: $2,800
Ruth Gottesman, wife of David Gottesman
- Spouse’s net worth:$2.7 billion
- Source of wealth: Investments
- Contributions: $2,500
FOOD & BEVERAGE
- Net worth:$4.9 billion
- Source of wealth: Starbucks
- Contributions: $826,900
- Net worth:$1.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Snack bars (KIND)
- Contributions: $389,200
S. Daniel Abraham
- Net worth:$2 billion
- Source of wealth: Slim-Fast
- Contributions: $363,400
- Net worth:$7.1 billion
- Source of wealth: Agriculture, water
- Contributions: $161,600
- Net worth:$2.1 billion
- Source of wealth: Restaurants (Panda Express)
- Contributions: $100,000
Pamela Perri Reyes, wife of Duke Reyes
- Spouse’s net worth:$1.1 billion
- Source of wealth: Beer distribution
- Contributions: $30,600
Marianne Metropoulos, wife of C. Dean Metropoulos
- Spouse’s net worth:$2.7 billion
- Source of wealth: Investments
- Contributions: $17,500
- Net worth:$4.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Houston Rockets, entertainment
- Contributions: $5,600
Gwendolyn Sontheim Meyer
- Net worth:$3.1 billion
- Source of wealth: Cargill
- Contributions: $2,800
Lauren Santo Domingo, wife of Andres Santo Domingo
- Spouse’s net worth:$3.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Beer
- Contributions: $1,000
Jacqueline Mars
- Net worth:$28.9 billion
- Source of wealth: Candy, pet food
- Contributions: $500
GAMBLING & CASINOS
Elaine Wynn
- Net worth:$2.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Casinos, hotels
- Contributions: $100,000
Gabe Newell
- Net worth:$4 billion
- Source of wealth: Video games
- Contributions: $2,800
Kathy Yarbrough, wife of Jon Yarbrough
- Spouse’s net worth:$2.6 billion
- Source of wealth: Video games
- Contributions: $2,800
HEALTHCARE
Pat Stryker
- Net worth:$3 billion
- Source of wealth: Medical equipment
- Contributions: $515,600
Jon Stryker
- Net worth:$4. billion
- Source of wealth: Medical equipment
- Contributions: $153,124
Harriet Schleifer, wife of Leonard Schleifer
- Spouse’s net worth:$1.8 billion
- Source of wealth: Pharmaceuticals
- Contributions: $14,200
MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT
- Net worth:$2.9 billion
- Source of wealth: TV network, investments
- Contributions: $1.5 million
Reed Hastings & Patty Quillin
- Net worth:$5.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Netflix
- Contributions: $1.4 million
James Chambers & Nabila Khashoggi Chambers
- Net worth:$5.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Media, automotive
- Contributions: $726,400
Thomas Secunda
- Net worth:$3.3 billion
- Source of wealth: Bloomberg LP
- Contributions: $721,300
George Lucas & Mellody Hobson
- Net worth:$7.3 billion
- Source of wealth: Star Wars
- Contributions: $721,200
Thomas Tull
- Net worth: $1.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Movies, investments
- Contributions: $711,300
Barry Diller
- Net worth:$5.8 billion
- Source of wealth: Online media
- Contributions: $620,600
Steven Spielberg & Kate Capshaw
- Net worth:$3.7 billion
- Source of wealth: Movies
- Contributions: $605,600
- Net worth: $3.6 billion
- Source of wealth: Cable television
- Contributions: $311,200
Tyler Perry
- Net worth:$1 billion
- Source of wealth: Movies, television
- Contributions: $200,000
Katharine Rayner
- Net worth:$5.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Media, automotive
- Contributions: $155,600
Aileen Roberts, wife of Brian Roberts
- Spouse’s net worth:$2 billion
- Source of wealth: Comcast
- Contributions: $152,800
- Net worth:$2.4 billion
- Source of wealth: Bloomberg LP
- Contributions: $104,900
Sarah Kennedy, wife of Jim Kennedy
- Spouse’s net worth:$8.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Media, automotive
- Contributions: $30,600
Sarah Magness, wife of Gary Magness
- Spouse’s net worth:$1.5 billion
- Source of wealth: Cable TV, investments
- Contributions: $25,000
David Geffen
- Net worth:$9.9 billion
- Source of wealth: Movies, record labels
- Contributions: $5,600
Sandra Gerry, wife of Alan Gerry
- Spouse’s net worth:$1.5 billion
- Source of wealth: Cable television
- Contributions: $2,800
Jerry Hall, wife of Rupert Murdoch
- Spouse’s net worth:$21.9 billion
- Source of wealth: Newspapers, TV network (News Corp.)
- Contributions: $500
REAL ESTATE
Amy Goldman Fowler & Cary Fowler
- Net worth:$3 billion
- Source of wealth: Real estate
- Contributions: $1.1 million
- Net worth:$1.5 billion
- Source of wealth: Real estate (Marcus & Millichap)
- Contributions: $505,600
Neil Bluhm
- Net worth: $6.1 billion
- Source of wealth: Real estate
- Contributions: $302,800
- Net worth:$1.1 billion
- Source of wealth: Home building
- Contributions: $186,200
- Net worth:$3.1 billion
- Source of wealth: Real estate
- Contributions: $55,600
Jorge Perez & Darlene Boytell-Perez
- Net worth:$1.7 billion
- Source of wealth: Real estate
- Contributions: $5,600
Katherine Farley, wife of Jerry Speyer
- Spouse’s net worth:$3.3 billion
- Source of wealth: Real estate
- Contributions: $2,800
Susan Sobrato, wife of John Sobrato
- Spouse’s net worth:$6 billion
- Source of wealth: Real estate
- Contributions: $1,000
SPORTS
Arthur Blank
- Net worth:$6.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Home Depot, NFL team(Atlanta Falcons)
- Contributions: $302,800
- Net worth: $1.4 billion
- Source of wealth: Sports teams
- Contributions: $5,600
TECHNOLOGY
- Net worth:$3 billion
- Source of wealth: Netscape, investments
- Contributions: $1.2 million
- Net worth:$3.1 billion
- Source of wealth: Software (Twilio)
- Contributions: $1.2 million
- Net worth:$2.7 billion
- Source of wealth: Facebook
- Contributions: $1.2 million
Dustin Moskovitz
- Net worth:$16.9 billion
- Source of wealth: Facebook
- Contributions: $820,600
John and Ann Doerr
- Net worth:$12.9 billion
- Source of wealth: Venture capital
- Contributions: $721,200
Laurene Powell Jobs
- Net worth:$23 billion
- Source of wealth: Apple, Disney
- Contributions: $713,400
Mark Pincus
- Net worth:$1.6 billion
- Source of wealth: Online games (Zynga)
- Contributions: $710,600
Niraj Shah
- Net worth:$3.4 billion
- Source of wealth: Online retail (Wayfair)
- Contributions: $400,000
Jeff Skoll
- Net worth:$6.7 billion
- Source of wealth: eBay
- Contributions: $645,600
Meg Whitman
- Net worth:$6.9 billion
- Source of wealth: eBay
- Contributions: $508,400
Reid Hoffman & Michelle Yee
- Net worth:$2.1 billion
- Source of wealth: LinkedIn
- Contributions: $496,200
- Net worth:$19.6 billion
- Source of wealth: Google
- Contributions: $361,200
Nicole Systrom, wife of Kevin Systrom
- Spouse’s net worth:$1.9 billion
- Source of wealth: Instagram
- Contributions: $305,000
- Net worth:$2.7 billion
- Source of wealth: Twitter
- Contributions: $250,500
Jerry Yang & Akiko Yamazaki
- Net worth:$2.3 billion
- Source of wealth: Yahoo
- Contributions: $250,000
Dagmar Dolby
- Net worth:$5.3 billion
- Source of wealth: Dolby Laboratories
- Contributions: $225,600
- Net worth:$2.1 billion
- Source of wealth: Collaborative software (GitHub)
- Contributions: $191,300
Joe Gebbia
- Net worth:$14.5 billion
- Source of wealth: Airbnb
- Contributions: $125,000
Connie Ballmer, wife of Steve Ballmer
- Spouse’s net worth:$81.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Microsoft
- Contributions: $105,600
Craig Newmark
- Net worth:$1 billion
- Source of wealth: Craigslist
- Contributions: $105,600
Judy Faulkner
- Net worth:$5.5 billion
- Source of wealth: Health IT (Epic)
- Contributions: $100,000
Vinod Khosla
- Net worth:$3 billion
- Source of wealth: Venture capital
- Contributions: $100,000
Michael Krasny
- Net worth:$1.3 billion
- Source of wealth: Retail
- Contributions: $100,000
- Net worth:$3.6 billion
- Source of wealth: Software
- Contributions: $76,600
Liz Lefkofsky, wife of Eric Lefkofsky
- Spouse’s net worth:$4.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Groupon
- Contributions: $52,800
Allison Bhusri, wife of Aneel Bhusri
- Spouse’s net worth:$3.1 billion
- Source of wealth: Business software (Workday)
- Contributions: $50,000
Alexander Karp
- Net worth:$3.1 billion
- Source of wealth: Software firm (Palantir)
- Contributions: $50,000
Jack Dangermond
- Net worth:$5.6 billion
- Source of wealth: Mapping software
- Contributions: $5,600
Ryan Graves
- Net worth:$1.3 billion
- Source of wealth: Uber
- Contributions: $5,600
Nicole Shanahan, wife of Sergey Brin
- Spouse’s net worth:$89 billion
- Source of wealth: Google
- Contributions: $25,000
Andy Fang
- Net worth:$2.8 billion
- Source of wealth: Food delivery app (DoorDash)
- Contributions: $12,500
Stanley Tang
- Net worth:$2.8 billion
- Source of wealth: Food delivery app (DoorDash)
- Contributions: $12,500
Tony Xu
- Net worth:$3.9 billion
- Source of wealth: Food delivery app (DoorDash)
- Contributions: $10,000
- Net worth:$3.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Software
- Contributions: $5,600
- Net worth: $5.4 billion
- Source of wealth: Pinterest
- Contributions: $5,600
Drew Houston
- Net worth:$1.8 billion
- Source of wealth: Cloud storage service (Dropbox)
- Contributions: $2,800
Alexis Lê-Quôc
- Net worth:$2.5 billion
- Source of wealth: Cloud computing (Datadog)
- Contributions: $2,500
Delle Maxwell, wife of Patrick Hanrahan
- Spouse’s net worth:$2 billion
- Source of wealth: Software (Tableau)
- Contributions: $2,800
Jared Smith
- Net worth:$1.2 billion
- Source of wealth: Cloud computing (Qualtrics)
- Contributions: $2,500
Kelsey Bateman, wife of Bobby Murphy
- Net worth:$13 billion
- Source of wealth: Snapchat
- Contributions: $1,000
Margot Birmingham Perot
- Net worth:$4 billion
- Source of wealth: Computer services, real estate
- Contributions: $1,000
Kendra Hyett, wife of PJ Hyett
- Spouse’s net worth:$1.6 billion
- Source of wealth:Software (GitHub)
- Contributions: $500