Jennifer Pritzker is among a small group of billionaires and spouses of billionaires who wrote six-figure checks to two joint fundraising committees supporting Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee in the final weeks of October, according to a review of records filed with the Federal Election Commission last week.
The Biden Victory Fund committee received $247,000 from the Hyatt heiress and retired Army lieutenant colonel on Oct. 16, bringing her total contributions to Biden and the DNC to $249,000, just shy of the $251,000 that Pritzker contributed to two committees supporting Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee in 2016. After Trump announced a transgender military ban in 2017, Pritzker, who is transgender, renounced her support for him. Pritzker made her first contribution to the Biden campaign in August, according to FEC records. She also contributed more than $25,000 to the Libertarian National Committee.
Private equity billionaire William Conway Jr. gave $250,000, which appears to be his single largest federal political contribution on record. Debra Black, who is married to Apollo Group cofounder Leon Black, gave $200,000, FEC records show. Her brother, Antony Ressler, another Apollo billionaire, gave $100,000. Vivine Wang, who is married to real estate tycoon Roger Wang, also donated $100,000.
The Biden Fight Fund, a committee formed after Election Day, that asked for donations to support legal challenges related to the election, also reported its donors last week. The group, which raised about $19 million in 20 days after the election, received some support from billionaires Brian Sheth ($250,000), Michael Krasny ($40,000) and Laurie Tisch ($10,000).
Here are the names of the billionaire donors that Forbes found gave more than $100,000 to the Biden Victory Fund and the Biden Action Fund at the end of October.
Net worth: $3.1 billion
Source of wealth: Private equity
Contributions: $250,000
Net worth: $1.4 billion
Source of wealth: Real estate
Contributions: $250,000
[id=1]
Wendy Schmidt, wife of Eric Schmidt
Spouse’s net worth: $17.4 billion
Source of wealth: Google
Contributions: $250,000
Net worth: $1.9 billion
Source of wealth: Hotels, investments
Contributions: $247,000
Net worth: $2.1 billion
Source of wealth: Hedge funds
Contributions: $220,000
[id=4]
Debra Black, wife of Leon Black
Spouse’s net worth: $8.4 billion
Source of wealth: Private equity
Contributions: $200,000
Net worth: $6.9 billion
Source of wealth: investments
Contributions: $100,000
Net worth: $2.1 billion
Source of wealth: Private equity
Contributions: $100,000
[id=7]
Net worth: $4 billion
Source of wealth: Private equity
Contributions: $100,000
Net worth: $3 billion
Source of wealth: Wayfair
Contributions: $100,000
Vivine Wang, wife of Roger Wang
Spouse’s net worth: $3.7 billion
Source of wealth: Retail
Contributions: $100,000
Note: The Biden Victory Fund received a $620,600 contribution from a donor named Christopher Wanstrath in October. Forbes could not independently verify that the contribution was made by the billionaire, Wanstrath.
