NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — As the US Supreme Court considers whether to remove limits on individuals’ contributions to candidates, political parties and political action committees, Wealth-X today released a list of the top five public political donors leading up to the 2012 elections and since then.
From December 2011 to December 2012, conservative-leaning business mogul Sheldon Adelson, CEO of Las Vegas Sands, along with his wife Miriam, were the top public donors with US$96,417,000 in political contributions – equivalent to 0.42 percent of their estimated US$23 billion fortune.
Next on the list is multibillionaire Harold Simmons, chairman of the Contran corporation, along with his wife Annette, who donated US$32,603,800 to conservative candidates and causes, followed by media magnate Fred Eychaner, who gaveUS$13,207,000 to liberal campaigns – amounting to 0.43 percent and 2.75 percent of their total net worth, respectively.
Since the 2012 elections, political contributions have generally tapered off, but many ultra wealthy individuals continue to pour their money into politics.
The top public political donor from January 2013 to October 2013 was New York City mayor and business tycoon Michael Bloomberg. The political independent – who ranked fourth on the list of donors leading up to the 2012 elections – gaveUS$2,265,867 of his US$21 billion fortune to various candidates and causes in 2013.
Below are the top two public political donors in the year preceding the 2012 US elections and since then:
| From 01-Dec-2011 To 01-Dec-2012 | |||
| Name | Amount Donated |
Estimated Net Worth |
Political Leaning |
| Sheldon & Miriam Adelson | $96,417,000 | $23,200,000,000 | Conservative |
| Harold & Annette Simmons | $32,603,800 | $7,500,000,000 | Conservative |
| From 01-Jan-2013 To 10-Oct-2013 | |||
| Michael Bloomberg | $2,265,867 | $21,400,000,000 | Independent |
| Thomas Meyer & Kathryn Taylor (wife) |
$1,857,400 | $1,300,000,000 | Liberal |
Conspicuously absent from the list are notable billionaire political donors such as brothers David and Charles Koch, the politically-conservative owners of oil, gas, and chemical conglomerate Koch Industries, and liberal-leaning financier George Soros. Sources suggest that these individuals may channel their contributions through foundations or organizations that keep their donors’ identities private.
For the full list, visit https://www.wealthx.com/articles/2013/wealth-x-reveals-usas-top-public-political-donors/
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