NYT: Bill Gates secretly donated $50 million to Kamala Harrisʼ campaign

Author:
Oleksandra Opanasenko
Date:

One of the richest people in the world, the founder of Microsoft Corporation, Bill Gates, could privately donate $50 million to the election campaign of Democrat Kamala Harris.

The New York Times (NYT) writes about it with reference to its own sources.

Bill Gates has stayed out of politics for decades, so his donation had to remain a secret. He has not publicly endorsed Harris as a candidate for the US presidency, but the donation shows a significant change in his strategy.

This year, during conversations with friends, Gates privately worried about the possibility of a second presidency of Republican Donald Trump. He emphasized that he could cooperate with any candidate — either with Trump or with Harris. However, he is concerned about potential cuts to family planning programs and global health care if Trump is elected president. At the same time, Gates does not have a close relationship with Harris, although he notes her administrationʼs role in climate change policy.

The NYT writes that Gates made the donation through the Future Forward organization, which is accepting donations for Kamala Harrisʼ campaign. Future Forward never discloses the names of its donors, so Gatesʼ name likely wonʼt appear in the companyʼs public filings. Although he himself, in private conversations with the former mayor of New York Mike Bloomberg confirmed the donation through Future Forward.

In response to the journalistsʼ publication, Bill Gates only emphasized his bipartisanship and declared that "this election is different." He did not say anything about the financial support of the Harris campaign.

“I support candidates who demonstrate a clear commitment to improving health care, reducing poverty, and fighting climate change in the United States and around the world. I have a long history of working with leaders of various political forces, but this election is unlike any other, it has unprecedented significance for Americans and the most vulnerable populations around the world," Gates commented.

In 2019, Gates said he did not plan to make large political donations. He said, "It can be tempting sometimes, and there are other people who do, but I just donʼt want to grab that giant megaphone."

Meanwhile, Gatesʼ children Rory and Phoebe have long been donors to the Democratic Party, sources told the NYT. The millions of dollars theyʼve put into the Harris campaign together come mostly from their parents.

Elections in the USA

This yearʼs presidential election in the USA will be held on November 5, 2024. Donald Trump became the Republican candidate in mid-July and presented his vice-presidential candidate JD Vance. Vance consistently opposes aid to Ukraine and says that Kyiv will have to cede some territories for a ceasefire.

Incumbent Joe Biden was supposed to be the Democratic nominee, but after an unsuccessful debate with Trump in June, he came under fire and pressure from the leaders and donors of the US Democratic Party. So on July 21, Biden officially informed that he was withdrawing from the presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate.

On August 21, Harris became the official candidate of the Democratic Party. Her vice-presidential candidate is Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, known for his support of Ukraine and sharp criticism of Trump and Vance.

The results of key polls regarding support for Harris and Trump are constantly changing. Trump is either ahead of Harris by one or two percentage points, or the candidates have an equal chance of winning.

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