After decades of avoiding direct political contributions, Bill Gates, one of the world's wealthiest individuals, is secretly supporting Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential bid. The New York Times reported that Gates recently donated $50 million to Future Forward USA Action, a nonprofit that supports Harris. The move, which Mr. Gates has kept private, signals a major shift in his long-standing official political neutrality and could have a major impact on his campaign.
“This election is different” Gates' change
Gates' decision to make this donation marks a stark departure from his past reluctance to make high-profile political donations. Until now, he has avoided political endorsements or large donations, saying in 2019:
I have decided not to participate in large political donations. You may want to do that, and some people may choose to do that, but I don't want to hold that giant megaphone.
But this year, the stakes appear to be even higher. Although Mr. Gates has made no public statement of support for Ms. Harris, his $50 million donation to Future Forward reflects growing anxiety about the political and social future he envisions.
According to the Times:
“I support candidates who demonstrate a clear commitment to improving health care, reducing poverty, and combating climate change in the United States and around the world,” Gates told The New York Times. “While I have a long history of working with leaders from across the political spectrum, this election is unlike any before and of unprecedented importance to the American people and the most vulnerable people around the world. It has sex.”
The move appears to underscore his belief that the 2024 election will have far-reaching implications.
Concerns about Trump
Mr. Gates has worked with politicians from both major parties, but private conversations have revealed deep concerns about the impact of Mr. Trump's possible return. Gates sees risks in areas such as climate change and global health.
In private calls with friends and others this year, Gates expressed concern about what a second term in office for President Donald Trump might look like.
Mr. Gates' philanthropic organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is very concerned about the potential for cuts to family planning and global health programs if Mr. Trump is elected, two people close to the foundation said. revealed.
President Trump took several steps during his presidency to limit funding for abortion and so-called reproductive health services. Notably, it introduced a “gag rule” that restricted Title X recipients from providing or referring abortions, leading to organizations like Planned Parenthood to withdraw from the program. That's true. He revived and expanded the Mexico City Policy, cut U.S. funding to foreign NGOs involved in abortion services, and sought to end funding for Planned Parenthood domestically. The administration also repealed Obamacare's (ACA) contraceptive coverage mandate and cut funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
gates and trump
During Trump's presidency, Bill Gates and Donald Trump met several times to discuss global health issues, including pandemic preparedness and vaccine development.
Although the two men agreed on the importance of these issues, Gates played a key role in steering Trump away from a potential vaccine safety commission. President Trump, influenced by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who advocated the safety of vaccines, considered forming a commission, but Gates intervened and warned it was a “dead end.” This advice appears to have led to President Trump withdrawing the idea.
Gates later claimed that he had turned down Trump's offer to be his scientific advisor.
Despite agreement on some areas, Gates publicly criticized President Trump's stance on climate change, particularly on withdrawing from the Paris Agreement. He also criticized President Trump's approach to public health policy during the coronavirus pandemic and cutting funding to the World Health Organization (WHO).
family push
Another factor in Gates' decision to become more involved in politics may be his children. Officials say his two children, Rory and Phoebe, are increasingly encouraging their parents to take a more active role in political giving, and two young people have already donated to Democratic causes. It is said that he is going there.
Melinda French Gates, Gates' ex-wife and co-founder of the Gates Foundation, also participated in the political donation drive. She donates to the same nonprofit arm of Future Forward that Gates reportedly contributed to.
michael bloomberg
The Times report said Gates was “discussing pro-Harris donations with colleagues, including Mike Bloomberg.” The two have been friends for many years.
Mr. Bloomberg, a former New York City mayor and billionaire philanthropist, has long been a prominent donor to Democratic causes. Bloomberg has already made significant financial contributions to support Democrats in the 2024 election cycle. Specifically, he donated $10 million to the House Majority PAC, the largest super PAC supporting House Democrats. This contribution accounted for more than half of the PAC's total fundraising in July 2024.
In addition to supporting House races, Bloomberg is also directing money to other Democratic priorities, including $19 million to Future Forward. He also donated $7 million to a super PAC associated with Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization Bloomberg helped found, Politico reported. The heavy financial commitment to the 2024 election confirms the Democratic Party's continued efforts to win after spending heavily during the 2020 presidential election cycle when he himself ran for president.
Silent donations that make a big impact
Mr. Gates' donations to Future Forward were largely invisible, in part because they were made to 501(c)(4) organizations that are not required to disclose their donors. This structure allowed Gates to have a major impact while maintaining a degree of anonymity. As a result, his name may not appear on public filings and his donations may not be widely known except to those close to the campaign.
Future Forward has played a key role in the Harris campaign's advertising strategy, running multiple anti-Trump ads this fall. While the nonprofit sector has limits on how much it can spend on such efforts, its umbrella super PACs have no such limits. According to the Times, the super PAC has received more than $170 million from nonprofits, allowing it to operate without similar financial constraints.
Is “dark money” becoming normal?
The outlet suggested that Gates and other wealthy donors could avoid potential backlash by donating to “dark money” groups. That argument is particularly important given an environment of heightened political tensions. Donald Trump has previously threatened criminal retaliation against prominent Democrats and other influential figures. As a result, some donors may prefer to make their contributions in a more cautious manner to protect themselves from potential retaliation.
The proposal appears to be an effort to normalize political donations to nonprofits, which are not required to disclose their donors. Although this type of funding is legal, it raises concerns for several reasons, including the potential for corruption and erosion of democratic processes. Both parties have repeatedly expressed concerns that “dark money” could lead to “shadow campaigning” that operates outside the oversight of official campaign finance laws.
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