Billionaires can’t seem to resist opening their wallets for the guy once dubbed “the poorest man in Congress.” Between July and September at least 67 billionaires and their spouses made contributions of more than $100,000 to committees supporting Joe Biden and the Democratic Party, according to records filed with the Federal Election Commission Thursday.
Those contributions added nearly $20 million to two joint fundraising committees, the Biden Victory Fund and the Biden Action Fund, groups that allow Biden to solicit donations far above the $5,600 contribution limit.
Among the largest donors were Haim Saban and his wife, Cheryl. Together, the Democratic power couple gave a combined $1.5 million. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin, teamed up to give $1.4 million. Other big benefactors included Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker and his wife ($1.4 million), Netscape cofounder James Clark and his wife ($1.2 million) and New York real estate heiress Amy Goldman Fowler and her husband ($1.1 million).
Not all the donors were on the same page with their spouses. Jo Carole Lauder, who is married to Trump donor Ronald Lauder, gave another $100,000 to committees supporting Biden. Elaine Wynn, the ex-wife of former Republican National Committee finance chair and Trump donor Steve Wynn, gave $100,000 to Biden Victory.