 "'Apolitical' Bill Gates donates $50 mn 'dark money' to NGO backing Kamala")
After years of maintaining a distance from political engagements, Bill Gates, one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, has reportedly made a significant financial contribution of approximately $50 million to a nonprofit organisation backing US Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign.
The donation was intended to remain confidential, according to a report in The New York Times. As a co-founder of Microsoft, Gates has not publicly expressed his support for Harris, making this contribution a notable departure from his previously cautious approach to political donations.
Concerns over Trump’s presidency?
In private discussions this year, Gates has voiced his concerns about the impact of a second Donald Trump presidency, according to the report. However, he has also shown willingness to work with either candidate. Although Gates lacks a close relationship with Harris, he has praised the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts in tackling climate change. His philanthropic organisation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is particularly worried about potential cuts to family planning and global health initiatives should Trump regain office.
The billionaire’s contribution is said to be directed towards Future Forward, the primary external fundraising entity supporting Harris. Notably, Gates has discussed his pro-Harris donation with peers, including former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who is also a notable supporter of Future Forward and has contemplated making a similar donation. Gates’s funding has specifically gone to Future Forward’s nonprofit division, Future Forward USA Action, a ‘dark money’ group that does not publicly disclose its donors. Therefore, Gates’s contribution will not be recorded in any public filings.
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In response to these revelations, Gates did not directly confirm the donation nor endorse Harris’s candidacy. He reiterated his commitment to bipartisanship, while also saying, “This election is different”. He emphasised the importance of supporting candidates focused on improving healthcare, reducing poverty, and addressing climate change both domestically and internationally.
Gates’s evolving stance is unexpected, particularly for long-time executives at the Gates Foundation. Previously, he expressed a desire to remain apolitical to maintain credibility with diverse political audiences. In 2019, he said, “I choose not to participate in large political donations”.
Notably, two of Gates’s children, Rory and Phoebe, have recently engaged in political philanthropy, encouraging their father to take political giving more seriously. Meanwhile, Melinda French Gates has also made contributions to Future Forward.
Funding the anti-Trump effort
Future Forward has been at the forefront of advertising campaigns against Trump this election season. Gates’s donation could prove instrumental in funding anti-Trump advertisements, even at this late stage. While the nonprofit branch faces limitations on spending for explicit anti-Trump messaging, it has already allocated over $170 million to the Future Forward super PAC, which operates without such restrictions.
Gates remains a prominent figure in the philanthropic landscape, leading a network of affluent donors who greatly respect his influence. He is scheduled to meet with members of the Giving Pledge community and other health-oriented philanthropists in Palm Springs, California, in early December, shortly after the election.