December 26, 2024

Skydance Media CEO David Ellison attends the 81st Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California.

Kevin Winter | The Hollywood Reporter | Getty Images

David Ellison, son of Republican megadonor Larry Ellison, donated $929,600 to support President Joe Biden’s reelection efforts, making him the Democratic incumbent One of the largest recent donors.

David Ellison’s donation is reportedly the largest ever made by a Skydance Media CEO to a federal candidate. Federal Election Commission Record.

His February contribution to the Biden Victory Fund tied with contributions from other large donors in the first quarter of 2024.

Others who donated the same amount as David Ellison during the quarter include attorney George Conway, a leading critic of former President Donald Trump; Facebook Co-founder Dustin Moskowitz.

David Ellison’s donation comes as his father, Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison, has been keeping his wallet tight during this election cycle.

Larry Ellison, historically a major Republican donor, has not made any federal political contributions through 2024, records show. Larry Ellison donated more than $31 million to Republican candidates during the 2022 congressional midterm elections, according to OpenSecrets.

Charles Myers, a former vice chairman of investment bank Evercore and a bundler of the Biden campaign, said David Ellison’s donations to support Biden were ” A very big deal”.

“It would be as impactful as if one of Soros’s sons started writing huge checks to Trump,” Myers told CNBC, referring to Democratic megadonor George Soros.

Biden allies are rushing to recruit David Ellison as the president’s political team tries to build a campaign war chest large enough to effectively compete against presumptive Republican nominee Trump in the presidential election.

The move to secure David Ellison’s support and his massive donation was largely orchestrated by Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter who has been criticized for discussing private matters. Asked to remain anonymous.

Katzenberg, a co-chairman of the Biden campaign, said his efforts to secure David Ellison as a supporter included arranging a meeting with Biden, sources said.

David Ellison participated in a private roundtable discussion in Los Angeles in December that included Biden and a dozen other attendees, including wealthy donors, sources said . The event was held at the home of real estate investor and Biden donor Kurt Rappaport.

Rappaport told CNBC that he invited “a small group of friends” to his home for the event and that those in attendance were “not necessarily” Biden’s top financiers, but declined to comment further.

Oracle founder and former CEO Larry Ellison watches a training session from a motorboat ahead of the America’s Cup World Series sailing race on the Great Sound in Hamilton, Bermuda, on October 16, 2015.

Fresh Mike | Reuters

David Ellison donates to Biden Victory Fund after event at Rappaport home.

The Biden Victory Fund has provided money to the Biden campaign, the Democratic National Committee and dozens of state parties, according to Federal Election Commission records. Rappaport donated $929,600 to the fund last July, according to FEC records.

David Allison’s donation helped the Biden Victory Fund raise more than $121 million in the first quarter of this year. FEC records show that a similar entity supporting Trump, called Trump Save America, raised more than $65 million in the quarter.

Biden trails Trump by one point in latest New York Times/Siena College poll polling.

Larry Ellison endorsed Sen. Tim Scott for president but did not contribute to his campaign.he is It is reported that now Trump’s team is trying to sell Scott as the former president’s running mate.

While the Ellisons may be on different sides in the 2024 election, the two are working together on a major media deal.

David Ellison’s Skydance Media recently made an offer to buy National Amusements and merge with Paramount Pictures. Larry Ellison, whose net worth exceeds $149 billion, is reportedly planning to fund the proposed deal.

A spokesman for David Ellison declined to comment. Katzenberg and the Biden campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

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