With the high-stakes US Presidential election day just a day away, the stakes are high for both presidential candidates. While in terms of media endorsements, Kamala Harris may have an edge over Donald Trump, the former president has top billionaires in his corner, with Elon Musk leading the way.
On election eve, there is a general consensus that the presidential race is deadlocked. The polls are exceptionally close across the country and in all the swing states – Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin in the industrial midwest; Nevada and Arizona in the west; and Georgia and North Carolina in the south.
While endorsements do not directly affect a candidate at the polls, they play a significant role in shaping a voter's mind. This year's presidential race has seen a decline in newspaper endorsements in a striking contrast to past elections. However, as we reach the final week until D-day, a public declaration of support from an influential figure may play a part in the voters' final decision.
Kamala Harris has got more of the country’s billionaires backing, with 83 of them supporting Harris compared to 52 billionaires donating to Donald Trump, according to a breakdown by Forbes.
However, while Harris has a wider range of rich donors, Trump’s cash-flush pals have overall given more, with 18 of the top 25 individual donors giving exclusively or mostly to Republicans, according to an Open Secrets analysis.
Let's take a look at top American billionaires who are backing Donald Trump:
Trump, who has positioned himself as a champion of the ultra-wealthy and working-class alike, has garnered significant backing from 49 billionaires. Notable supporters include:
-Elon Musk
-Stephen Schwarzman
-Thomas Peterffy
-Miriam Adelson
-Jeff Hildebrand
-Jan Koum
-Harold Hamm
-Diane Hendricks
-Tilman Fertitta
-Andy Beal
-Marc Rowan
-Woody Johnson IV
-Bill Ackman
-Joe Ricketts
-Bernie Marcus
-Kelcy Warren
-Edward Roski
-Gary Rollins
Meanwhile, Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos, who has not endorsed either Trump or Harris, recently made his public remarks on the November election in a bid to clear the air around the publication's non-endorsement of either candidate. “Presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election,” the Amazon founder wrote.
Top American billionaires who are backing Kamala Harris:
Despite Kamala Harris's criticism of pro-billionaire policies, many ultra-wealthy individuals support her due to pragmatic reasons. A letter from more than a dozen billionaires endorsing Harris emphasised that she is expected to maintain “fair and predictable policies” that ensure economic stability.
Among the 76 billionaires supporting Harris, 28 have donated $1 million or more to groups backing her. Here are some notable names:
-Michael Bloomberg (Former New York mayor, Bloomberg)
-Arthur Blank (Atlanta Falcons)
-Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn)
-Vinod Khosla (Khosla Ventures)
-Dustin Moskovitz (Facebook)
-Steven Spielberg (Hollywood director)
In addition, 36 billionaires contributed between $50,000 and $999,999. Some of these include:
Tory Burch (Fashion designer)
Reed Hastings (Netflix)
Chris Larsen (Ripple)
Laurene Powell Jobs (Apple)
Further, Melinda French Gates, Joe Gebbia (Airbnb), and several other prominent figures have financially backed the Democratic Presidential candidate. High-profile individuals such as Mark Cuban and Magic Johnson signed an open letter endorsing her.
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