Foreign
Billionaires, celebrities endorsing Donald Trump, Kamala Harris
By Francesca Hangeior.
As the 2024 United States presidential election approaches, candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have secured notable endorsements from celebrities and billionaires alike.
The upcoming election, the 60th presidential election in the United States, is scheduled for Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
Using data from the Federal Election Commission as of September, Bloomberg examined the contributions of individuals on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index to the Harris and Trump campaigns.
Trump leads the fundraising race, receiving at least $281 million from billionaire donors. In contrast, Harris has garnered at least $66.2 million from donors, including contributions rolled over from supporters of Joe Biden after he suspended his campaign.
A significant portion of Trump’s funding comes from two major donors: Elon Musk and Miriam Adelson, who each contributed over $100 million.
Harris’s wealthiest supporters include Meta co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings.
Find below the list of the richest Americans supporting each candidate as reported by Bloomberg.
DONALD TRUMP BILLIONAIRE ENDORSEMENTS
The CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk: Net Worth – $270.3 billion | Donations – $100 million+
Chairman of Blackstone, Stephen Schwarzman: Net Worth – $54.2 billion | Donations – $419,600
Chairman of Interactive Brokers, Thomas Peterffy: Net Worth – $44.9 billion | Donations – $844,000
Majority shareholder of Las Vegas Sands, Miriam Adelson: Net Worth – $37.5 billion | Donations – $100 million+
Founder and owner of Hilcorp Energy, Jeff Hildebrand: Net Worth – $18.3 billion | Donations – $515,000
Co-founder of WhatsApp, Jan Koum: Net Worth – $17.3 billion | Donations – $5.1 million
Chairman of Continental Resources, Harold Hamm: Net Worth – $14.5 billion | Donations – $1.2 million
Chairman and sole owner of ABC Supply, Diane Hendricks: Net Worth – $14.3 billion | Donations – $15 million
Chairman and CEO of Fertitta Entertainment, Tilman Fertitta: Net Worth – $13.8 billion | Donations – $487,000
Founder and president of Beal Financial, Andy Beal: Net Worth – $13.6 billion | Donations – $2 million
Co-founder and CEO, Apollo Global Management Marc Rowan: Net Worth – $10.2 billion | Donations – $1 million
Owner of New York Jets, Woody Johnson IV: Net Worth – $8.8 billion | Donations – $2 million
Founder and CEO, Pershing Square, Bill Ackman: Net Worth – $7.7 billion | Donations – $419,000
Founder of TD Ameritrade, Joe Ricketts: Net Worth – $7.7 billion | Donations – $867,900
Co-founder of Home Depot, Bernie Marcus: Net Worth – $7.5 billion | Donations – $1 million
Chairman and largest shareholder of Energy Transfer LP, Kelcy Warren: Net Worth – $7.4 billion | Donations – $10 million
President and chairman of Majestic Realty, Edward Roski: Net Worth – $7.3 billion | Donations – $100,000
Chairman and CEO of Rollins Inc., Gary Rollins: Net Worth – $6.8 billion | Donations – $12,500
Trump has attracted a range of celebrity endorsements, particularly from the film and television industry. Actors such as Jon Voight, Dennis Quaid, and Mel Gibson have expressed their support for the former president, along with familiar faces like Zachary Levi and Rosanne Barr.
In the music space, Trump has found allies in artists like Kid Rock and Jason Aldean, who have openly backed his candidacy, along with endorsements from Amber Rose and Azealia Banks.
The sports community has also rallied behind Trump, with endorsements from boxing legend Mike Tyson and former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan, as well as notable athletes like Lawrence Taylor and Danica Patrick.
KAMALA HARRIS BILLIONAIRE ENDORSEMENTS
Co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates: Net Worth – $160.2 billion | Donations – $50 million
Grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton, Lukas Walton: Net Worth – $36.4 billion | Donations – $416,000
Former CEO of Alphabet, Eric Schmidt: Net Worth – $32.3 billion | Donations – $1.6 million
Co-founder of Meta Platforms, Dustin Moskovitz: Net Worth – $26.6 billion | Donations – $38 million
Daughter-in-law of Walmart founder Sam Walton, Christy Walton: Net Worth – $16.4 billion | Donations – $25,000
Former co-chair of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Melinda French Gates: Net Worth – $15 billion | Donations – $920,000
Daughter of Ned Johnson III, former chairman of Fidelity Investments, Elizabeth Johnson: Net Worth – $13.2 billion | Donations – $200,000
Founder of Emerson Collective and wife of the late Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell Jobs: Net Worth – $11.6 billion | Donations – $2 million
Founder and majority owner of DE Shaw & Co., David Shaw: Net Worth – $10.7 billion | Donations – $295,000
Filmmaker, Steven Spielberg: Net Worth – $9.6 billion | Donations – $1.5 million
President and chief operating officer of Blackstone, Jon Gray: Net Worth – $9.4 billion | Donations – $500,000
Wife of the late Charles Schusterman, founder of Samson Investment, Lynn Schusterman: Net Worth – $8.9 billion | Donations – $5,575
Co-founder of Airbnb, Joe Gebbia: Net Worth – $8.3 billion | Donations – $20,000
Shareholder of Stryker Corp., Pat Stryker: Net Worth – $8.1 billion | Donations – $500,000
Former chief scientist and vice president of Renaissance Technologies, Henry Laufer: Net Worth – $8 billion | Donations – $1 million
Chairman and co-founder of Kleiner Perkins, John Doerr: Net Worth – $7.9 billion | Donations – $1.3 million
Co-owner of Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban: Net Worth – $7.8 billion | Donations – Not yet
Co-founder and executive vice president, SAS Institute, John Sall: Net Worth – $7.7 billion | Donations – $82,000
Former executive vice chairman of Blackstone, Tony James: Net Worth – $7.2 billion | Donations – $250,000
Wife of the late Ross Perot, Margot Perot: Net Worth – $7 billion | Donations – $20,000
Son of investor and music composer J. Paul Getty, Gordon Getty: Net Worth – $6.7 billion | Donations – $1.8 million
Founder of Soros Fund Management, George Soros: Net Worth – $6.5 billion | Donations – $1.8 million
Co-founder of Netflix, Reed Hastings: Net Worth – $6.5 billion | Donations – $6.9 million
Shareholder of Cox Enterprises, James Cox Chambers: Net Worth – $5.7 billion | Donations – $1.2 million
Shareholder of Cox Enterprises, Katharine Rayner: Net Worth – $5.7 billion | Donations – $300,000
KAMALA HARRIS CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS
In the music industry, Harris has received support from stars like Taylor Swift, who endorsed her after a debate, and Beyoncé, who featured her song “Freedom” in Harris’s campaign. Other notable artists advocating for her include Eminem, Cher, Lizzo, Nicky Jam, and Don Omar.
In Hollywood, high-profile actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, and Jennifer Lawrence have publicly backed her, alongside influential figures like Octavia Spencer, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Mindy Kaling.
The sports world has also shown strong support, with endorsements from NBA coach Steve Kerr and star playerS Steph Curry and Lebron James. Legendary athletes like Billie Jean King and Magic Johnson further bolster her appeal in this arena.
United States President-elect Donald Trump has announced plans to deport all immigrants in the United States illegally over his upcoming four-year term.
In an interview aired Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press, Trump detailed his vision for a broad crackdown on illegal immigration, which he intends to classify as a national emergency upon taking office on January 20.
According to Reuters, the Department of Homeland Security estimates that as of January 2022, over 11 million people are in the US without legal status, a figure likely higher today.
Trump affirmed his intention to remove all unauthorized immigrants, stating, “I think you have to do it. It’s a very tough thing to do. You know, you have rules, regulations, laws.”
While emphasising enforcement, Trump signaled willingness to negotiate protections for “Dreamers,” immigrants brought to the US illegally as children.
During his first term, Trump attempted to dismantle the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme, which provides deportation relief to this group, but was blocked by the Supreme Court.
Trump also plans to issue an executive order to end birthright citizenship on his first day in office.
The policy, which grants citizenship to anyone born on US soil regardless of their parents’ immigration status, is rooted in the 14th Amendment of the Constitution and reinforced by an 1898 Supreme Court decision.
“We’ll maybe have to go back to the people,” he said.
Trump acknowledged potential legal challenges to his proposal and suggested that achieving this goal might require a constitutional amendment.
The implementation of these measures would demand substantial financial resources.
The American Immigration Council estimates the cost of deporting all unauthorized immigrants at $88 billion annually. Trump’s team, including incoming border czar Tom Homan, has called on Congress to provide significant funding increases to support immigration enforcement efforts.
President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday was hosting three-way talks with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and US President-elect Donald Trump in Paris, an AFP correspondent said.
Trump held talks with Macron inside the Elysee Palace ahead of the re-opening ceremony for Notre Dame cathedral, with Zelensky then arriving and immediately joining them.
The trio posed for a picture but made no further public comment before starting the talks.
AFP
Ghana counted ballots on Saturday after a tight election with the ruling party’s Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia trying to shake off anger over economic woes and rebuff a challenge by opposition party candidate ex-president John Mahama.
Ghana’s struggling economy dominated the election, after the west Africa gold and cacao producer went through a debt default, high inflation and negotiations for a $3 billion IMF bailout.
Voters were choosing a successor to Bawumia’s boss, President Nana Akufo-Addo, who steps down after serving the maximum of two four-year terms. They will also elect the country’s new parliament.
Voting was mostly calm, but one person was shot dead and four people arrested at a polling station in Nyankpala in the country’s northern region, police and local media said.
After polls closed at 1700 GMT, election teams immediately began tallying ballots under the watch of agents from political parties before sending them to collation centres.
Preliminary results are expected early Sunday, with full presidential results scheduled by Tuesday.
“Everyone is complaining prices are high. So I want a change, I want a good president who will bring in changes,” Abdullah Mohammed, a student said after voting in Accra’s Nima district.
With a history of political stability, Ghana’s two main parties, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC), have alternated in power equally since the return to multi-party democracy in 1992.
Touting the slogan “Break the 8” — a reference to going past the usual two terms in power — the NPP hopes Bawumia can lead them to an unprecedented third term. But he struggled to break away from criticism of Akufo-Addo’s economic record.
“I think we have done a lot of work with our message to the people and the message has been well received,” Bawumia said after voting in his northern home Walewale.
A UK-educated economist and former central banker, he points to an economy turning a corner and the government’s continued plans for digitalisation to ease business, as well as free education and health programmes.
Economic frustrations
But though inflation slowed from more than 50 percent to around 23 percent, and other macro-economic indicators are stabilising, the economic pain was still a clear election issue.
Many Ghanaians still say they struggle with the cost of living, scarce jobs and a depreciated cedi currency.
Frustration over the economy has opened the way for a comeback challenge from Mahama, who was president from 2012 to 2017 but has since failed twice in presidential bids.
The NDC flag-bearer says he will “reset” Ghana and introduce a “24-hour economy”, extending industrial hours to create jobs, and also renegotiate parts of the IMF deal.
“Other elections have not been as obvious,” Mahama said voting in his northern hometown. “With this one, everybody can tell the direction because of the abysmal performance of the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government.”
Some analysts gave him an edge because of voter dismay with NPP, but the former president faced criticism from those who remember financial woes and massive power cuts during his time in office.
Shoe saleswoman Esther Adobea said the economic situation hurt, but she was willing to give Bawumia a chance to make things better.
“I can see he can handle the country for us. Our economy is not good, but he can do better,” she said.
Both major candidates are from the north of the country — traditionally an NDC stronghold, but now more fragmented — making the region a key battleground.
While the economy was key, Ghana also faces an increasing risk of spillover in its northern regions from jihadist conflicts in Niger and Burkina Faso, where military juntas rule.
The spread of illegal gold mining also became an election issue. Akufo-Addo promised to stop illegal mining, but it has expanded, poisoning riverways and impacting cacao farmlands — a major source of export income.
AFP
NASC appoints Andrew Nwoba as Clerk to Senate, elevates others
Affirmative Action for Women is Essential for Equity – Speaker Abbas
Inefficient Systems, Outdated Regulations Stifle Petroleum Sector Growth – Speaker Abbas
Just in: Terrorists ambush military truck, kill all soldiers on board
Nigerian Dancer, Korra Obidi Attacked with acid, stabbed on stage In UK
Meet Rare Gem 16 Years Old Chiaza, CEO of ‘RUN MARKET PLACE’
-
Entertainment18 hours agoOla of Lagos overjoyed as Don Jazzy gifts him N20M
-
News17 hours agoTaxation: FCT-IRS gives 2-week deadline to 10,000 high earners
-
News18 hours agoNurse issues warning to women as husband abandons wife and baby born without hands
-
News18 hours agoPresidency reveals Tinubu’s position on 2027 election
-
Entertainment17 hours agoMy Experience Working With Funke Akindele – Omowumi Dada Shares Her Account
-
Opinion17 hours agoTHE TRAJECTORY OF SENATOR GODSWILL AKPABIO AT 62
-
News10 hours agoUS set to Engage With All Syrian Groups — Biden
-
News10 hours agoGhana: NDC wins majority in parliament, secures 185 seats