Forbes found at least 100 billionaires in the corners of either former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris—with many more backing Harris—but unlike the world’s richest man Elon Musk, who stumps extensively on Trump’s behalf, many have elected to watch from the sidelines, like Warren Buffett and Mark Zuckerberg.
Trump and Harris during their September presidential debate.
Our breakdown records 81 billionaires supporting Harris and 52 backing Trump so far (see the lists for both below).
Many more billionaires may still financially back a candidate, but their donations won’t be learned until after the election, when final Federal Election Commission reports are issued in December.
Billionaires leaning toward Harris may seem incongruous, since she often criticizes Trump for advocating for policies favorable toward billionaires—but there are practical reasons why the ultra wealthy may favor Harris.
A letter signed by more than a dozen billionaires last month endorsing Harris explained their belief Harris “will continue to advance fair and predictable policies that support the rule of law, stability, and a sound business environment,” indicating the support for the status quo as the U.S. economy and stock market exhibit strength, while a recent survey of millionaire investors—which found a 57% to 43% split in Harris’s favor—identified technology, healthcare and sustainability stocks as the sectors most poised to benefit from a Harris win, a mix friendly to many of her billionaire backers from Silicon Valley, who grew familiar with Harris during her time as a California prosecutor.
Forbes will update this list through Election Day.
Jeff Bezos, left, Larry Page, second from left, Sheryl Sandberg, former chief operating officer of ... [ ] Facebook, then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence and then-President-elect Donald Trump meet in 2016.
Bill Gates: Though his ex-wife French Gates is among Harris’ deepest backers—her reported $13 million donation to Harris groups would place her among the top individual donors this cycle—the Microsoft cofounder Gates has not officially endorsed a candidate, but appeared to offer positive words toward Harris in a July interview, saying it is “great to have somebody who's younger, who can think about things like AI and how we shape that in the right way.” But “I don’t tell other people how to vote” due to his work with his nonprofit Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates added.
UPDATE (Oct. 22): Gates told allies he donated $50 million to the non-profit wing of a Democratic political action committee supporting Harris, The New York Times reported Tuesday, citing three sources familiar with the situation. The bombshell report goes against........