Billionaire Timothy Mellon pours $165M into 2024 elections primarily supporting Donald Trump

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: Timothy Mellon, the heir to the Mellon family fortune, has arguably become one of the most influential figures in US politics thanks to his exorbitant spending on key political campaigns this year.

The grandson of Andrew Mellon—a Gilded Age industrialist and former US Secretary of the Treasury—Timothy's recent contributions to conservative causes have cemented him as a major player, especially within the Republican Party and among supporters of former president Donald Trump.

Massive influence in 2024 race

This year, Timothy Mellon has emerged as one of the top donors in American politics, channeling over $165 million into various campaigns. His influence has grown so much that he has been labeled a “guardian angel donor” — a term reserved for contributors who are the primary financial backers of a political group and provide more than 40% of its funding.

One of Mellon’s most notable contributions this year was a $50 million donation in July to the pro-Trump super PAC Make America Great Again, Inc. The hefty sum brought his total contributions to the group to an astonishing $125 million for this election cycle alone.

This includes another $50 million he donated to the super PAC just a day after Trump was convicted of 34 felonies. That said, Mellon’s latest $50 million contribution constituted more than 90% of the funds raised by MAGA, Inc. in July, leaving the super PAC with approximately $124.5 million in cash on hand by the end of the month.

From environmental advocate to conservative powerhouse

Interestingly, Timothy Mellon’s involvement in conservative politics marks a major shift from his earlier philanthropic endeavors. There was a time when Mellon supported groups focused on environmental protection, women’s rights, and Native American rights.

However, in recent years, his political giving has increasingly aligned with conservative causes.

Mellon’s first major venture into federal elections came during the 2020 cycle when he donated $60.1 million to federal political committees supporting Republican candidates. This included a $20 million contribution to the pro-Trump super PAC America First Action. And with two months remaining before the November election, Mellon has more than doubled his previous contributions.

Timothy Mellon’s wealth and influence are rooted in his family’s storied history. His grandfather, Andrew Mellon, was one of the wealthiest men of his time as he commanded an industrial empire that spanned banking, oil, coal, aluminum, and shipping.

Andrew Mellon also served as the US Secretary of the Treasury from 1921 to 1932, during which time he played a crucial role in shaping economic policy in the aftermath of World War I. His policies—particularly during the Coolidge administration—were credited with reducing corporate taxes and boosting government revenue.

In February 2024, the Mellon family was ranked as the 34th richest family in America. As an heir to this vast fortune, Timothy Mellon has used his wealth to become one of the biggest political donors in recent history.

Controversies and criticism

Despite his contributions, Timothy Mellon has maintained a relatively low public profile. It is difficult to find more than a handful of photographs of him online, and he rarely makes public appearances. However, Mellon has not been without controversy.

In his autobiography, he sparked criticism by referring to US safety net programs as a “slavery redux” that he believed had made Black Americans “even more belligerent.”

One of the more surprising recipients of Mellon’s financial support in 2024 was independent candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr. Mellon contributed $25 million to Kennedy’s hybrid PAC, American Values 2024, earlier in the year.

Kennedy praised Mellon as a “maverick entrepreneur” on the back cover of his autobiography. However, Kennedy’s campaign was short-lived as he suspended his bid for the presidency on August 23 and endorsed Donald Trump.

The bulk of Timothy Mellon’s political donations have been made in the last three years. The top five recipients of his federal political donations include MAGA Inc., the Congressional Leadership Fund, American Values 2024, the Senate Leadership Fund, and the Sentinel Action Fund.

The latter is aligned with the Heritage Foundation and supports Project 2025, a conservative policy initiative. Meanwhile, the Congressional Leadership Fund and Senate Leadership Fund—both super PACs aligned with Republican leadership in Congress—have been major beneficiaries of Mellon’s largesse.

During the 2022 midterms, the Congressional Leadership Fund spent over $227 million to support Republican candidates. This included $66 million aimed at defeating 23 candidates who ultimately lost their races.

Having said that, Mellon has also contributed to Republican congressional candidates this year, with substantial sums directed towards candidates like Rep. Derek Merrin (R-Ohio) and Rep Laurie Buck (R-NC), as well as over $5 million spent opposing Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY).

State-level contributions and fight against 'woke' activism

While most of Timothy Mellon’s political contributions have been directed toward federal elections, he has also made quite an impact at the state level. Earlier this year, he contributed $1 million to Fair Courts America, a group in Wisconsin that opposes court-packing and prosecutors allegedly supported by Democratic megadonor George Soros.

“Fair Courts America will fight woke judicial activism and defend our courts,” its website reads.

It's interesting to note that Timothy Mellon had not made any public federal contributions exceeding one million dollars before 2018. This has led to speculation that he may have previously donated through dark money groups to maintain his anonymity, according to OpenSecrets.