After decades of sitting on the sidelines of politics, Bill Gates, one of the richest people in the world, has said privately that he recently donated about $50 million to a nonprofit organization that is supporting Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential run, according to three people briefed on the matter.
The donation was meant to stay under wraps. Mr. Gates, one of the founders of Microsoft, has not publicly endorsed Ms. Harris, and his donation would represent a significant change in the strategy that has previously kept him away from gifts like this.
In private calls this year to friends and others, Mr. Gates has expressed concern about what a second Donald Trump presidency would look like, according to a person briefed on Mr. Gates’s thinking, although he has stressed that he could work with either candidate. Mr. Gates does not have a deep relationship with Ms. Harris, but he has celebrated the Biden-Harris administration’s work on climate change. Mr. Gates’s philanthropic organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is significantly concerned about potential cuts to family planning and global health programs if Mr. Trump is elected, according to two people close to the foundation.
Mr. Gates has said he made his donation to Future Forward, the main outside fund-raising group supporting Ms. Harris, according to the people briefed on the matter. Mr. Gates has talked about his pro-Harris donation with his peers, including Mike Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor and a major supporter of Future Forward who has considered a similarly sized gift, two of the people briefed said. Mr. Gates’s donation went specifically to Future Forward’s nonprofit arm, Future Forward USA Action, which as a 501(c)(4) “dark money” organization does not disclose its donors, according to the people briefed. So any contribution by Mr. Gates will never appear on any public filing.
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Let me get this straight—Gates is buying influence for someone like Harris, who has zero accomplishments to her name and is riding Biden’s coattails? I don’t care if it’s Trump or Harris—this stinks of political corruption. What happened to earning votes with actual policies? Gates might be worried about his precious global health programs, but what about our country? This is just another example of the left trying to push their agenda with the help of billionaire elites
Funny how every time a billionaire drops a pile of cash, we’re supposed to believe it’s for the ‘greater good.’ Newsflash: billionaires don’t just throw money around for fun. This is all about control. Harris is just another puppet, and Gates is pulling the strings to make sure his agenda stays front and center. How about we focus on reducing the size of government and keeping these power-hungry elites out of politics entirely?
Oh, great! Another billionaire deciding the fate of the country from their ivory tower. Because, you know, the best way to address rampant inequality is with a 50 million dollar secret donation to a candidate who’s barely made a dent in the polls. But hey, at least Gates is saving democracy from another Trump presidency, right? Because clearly, nothing says ‘I’m on your side’ like funneling dark money through a nonprofit. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I’ll take Gates’ 50 million over Trump’s band of corporate goons any day. At least Gates cares about climate change and global health! If we’re going to talk about real threats, let’s not forget that Trump would happily torch the planet if it meant a few extra bucks for his billionaire cronies. Gates might not be perfect, but Harris is leagues better than Trump. We need someone who can actually keep this country from falling apart!
How convenient. Bill Gates, the king of surveillance capitalism, suddenly ‘concerned’ about a second Trump term. I wonder if this has anything to do with protecting his massive empire from a wild card like Trump who might, for once, not toe the line. Look, Harris is just another cog in the machine. Whether it’s her or Trump, the system keeps running on corporate dollars and backroom deals. This donation isn’t about ‘saving democracy’; it’s about keeping control in the hands of the elites
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