US presidential election 2024: Where top American billionaires stand in Kamala Harris vs Donald Trump battle

As the US presidential election draws closer, at least 100 billionaires have thrown their support behind either Republican candidate Donald Trump, who is running for a second term in the White House, or Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, while some have chosen not to publicly back any candidate.

According to Forbes, 76 billionaires have endorsed Harris, while 49 have voiced support for Trump (as of now). Some, like Warren Buffett and Mark Zuckerberg, haven’t backed any candidate yet.

BILLIONAIRES BACKING KAMALA HARRIS

Kamala Harris, 59, in her presidential campaign, is leaning towards the middle-class vote. Her critics have said that her proposed policies do not favour big businesses or the ultra wealthy. However, a letter signed by over a dozen billionaires endorsing Harris stated that she is likely to uphold “fair and predictable policies” that promote economic stability, according to Forbes.

Her campaign appeals to Silicon Valley billionaires. Additionally, a recent survey showed that industries such as technology, healthcare, and sustainability are expected to grow under a Harris administration. Among the 76 billionaires, here are some notable names backing Harris:

• Michael Bloomberg (Bloomberg, former New York mayor)
• Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn)
• Vinod Khosla (Khosla Ventures)
• Dustin Moskovitz (Facebook)
• John Pritzker (Hyatt Hotels)
• Steven Spielberg (Hollywood director)
• Reed Hastings (Netflix)
• Chris Larsen (Ripple)
• Laurene Powell Jobs (Apple)
• Christy Walton (Walmart)
• Melinda French Gates (Microsoft)
• Joe Gebbia (Airbnb)
• Mark Cuban (“Shark Tank” investor)
• Hamdi Ulukaya (Chobani)

There are other notable names, such as music star Bruce Springsteen, who endorsed Harris on October 3, and mega pop star Taylor Swift, who backed Harris just after the first presidential debate on September 10 on ABC News.

DONALD TRUMP BILLIONAIRE SUPPORTER

According to Forbes, a total of 49 billionaires have endorsed Donald Trump — himself from the world of business — to win the election. Here are some notable names:

• Elon Musk (Tesla and SpaceX CEO), the world’s richest man, who is on track to become a trillionaire, is actively backing Donald Trump. Musk is attending rallies with Trump and urging voters to support him.
• Antonio Gracias (early Tesla investor)
• Linda McMahon (WWE)
• Phil Ruffin (Treasure Island Las Vegas)
• Kenny Troutt (horse racing)
• Miriam Adelson (Las Vegas Sands Corp.)
• Diane Hendricks (ABC Supply construction)
• Douglas Leone (Sequoia Capital)
• Robert “Woody” Johnson (New York Jets)
• Steve Wynn (Wynn Resorts)
• Terry Taylor (car dealerships)
• William Wrigley, Jr. (Wrigley)

BILLIONAIRES WHO HAVEN’T ENDORSED A CANDIDATE

In this election cycle, where most billionaires have endorsed either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, some notable billionaires have chosen to remain quiet for now and haven’t publicly backed any candidate. Some of the notable figures include:

• Warren Buffett, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and the sixth-richest man in the world, remains quiet in this presidential election and has not endorsed either candidate.
• Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, has not supported any candidate in this election. However, Trump told New York Magazine that Zuckerberg would not vote for a Democrat in this election, according to Forbes.
• Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder, has not officially endorsed any candidate. However, his ex-wife has endorsed Kamala Harris for President.
• Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, the largest US bank, has not endorsed any candidate. Incidently, Trump shared a false social media post last week touting Dimon’s endorsement.
• Sergey Brin, Google co-founder and eighth-wealthiest person in the world, has not made any endorsement for either candidate.
• Larry Ellison and Ken Griffin have donated millions to Republicans in the past. However, as the U.S. presidential election enters its final stretch, they have not formally endorsed any candidate.
• Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and the world’s fourth-richest person, has not endorsed or financially backed any of the candidates. However, following the first assassination attempt on Donald Trump on July 13, Bezos said Trump “showed tremendous grace and courage under literal fire.”