After years of avoiding direct involvement in politics, Bill Gates, one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, has privately disclosed a $50 million donation to a nonprofit organization supporting Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
The donation, intended to remain confidential, marks a significant shift for Gates, who has historically steered clear of political contributions of this magnitude. Gates, a co-founder of Microsoft, has not publicly endorsed Harris. However, in private conversations this year, he has expressed concerns about the implications of a second Donald Trump presidency, according to someone familiar with his views. While Gates has stated he could work with either candidate, he has praised the Biden-Harris administration’s climate change initiatives. Additionally, sources close to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation indicate that potential cuts to global health and family planning programs under a Trump administration are a key concern for Gates.
The $50 million contribution was made to Future Forward, the primary outside fundraising group backing Harris, according to sources. Gates reportedly discussed his support for Harris with peers, including former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, a prominent supporter of Future Forward who has considered making a similar-sized donation. Gates’s contribution was directed to Future Forward’s nonprofit arm, Future Forward USA Action. As a 501(c)(4) organization, it is not required to disclose its donors, ensuring that Gates’s donation will not appear in public records.
In response to inquiries, Gates did not explicitly confirm the donation or formally endorse Harris. However, he emphasized his bipartisan approach while acknowledging that “this election is different.”
Bloomberg and Gates share a longstanding friendship, built on their mutual commitment to philanthropy and shared interests in public health and climate change. With an estimated net worth of $162 billion, Gates has faced repeated encouragement from Democratic allies and donors to actively oppose Trump, but he has consistently resisted such involvement, according to two individuals familiar with his activities.
Like his former wife, Melinda French Gates, Gates has historically avoided overt political engagement to maintain his credibility with both Democratic and Republican leaders, especially in matters related to global development and initiatives in the developing world.
“I choose not to participate in large political donations,” Gates told The New York Times in 2019. “There are times it might feel tempting to do so, and there are other people who choose to do so, but I just don’t want to grab that gigantic megaphone.”
Gates’s involvement has come as a surprise to longtime executives at the Gates Foundation. Following Vice President Harris’s entry into the presidential race this summer, the billionaire remarked in an interview that while “you might be able to predict” his preferred candidate, he did not consider himself “a political influencer.”
“I don’t tell other people how to vote because I’m so associated with the foundation that works with any administration,” he said. “I think it’s great to have somebody who’s younger and can think about things like A.I. and how to shape that the right way.”
