US election: who the billionaires are backing

America's richest men at last have something in common with its poorest voters: they can't agree on who their next president should be.

With less than a week to go before the US election, at least 100 billionaires have backed either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, according to analysis by Forbes. While most of the country's estimated 813 billionaires have opted to "watch from the sidelines", 83 have publicly endorsed the vice president and 52 the former president.

That's a marked departure from 2016 and even 2020 when few high-profile billionaires publicly associated themselves with Trump. But among the wealthiest men, there is a more even "split", said Fortune. And according to a major Bloomberg analysis, "among the ultra-rich, Trump comes out on top".

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Elon Musk (Trump, overtly)

The Tesla and SpaceX boss is one of the most vocal Trump supporters – and prominent donors.

He has donated more than $76 million to Trump or other Republicans, according to Open Secrets. He joined the former president on the campaign trail and, in what many have claimed is illegal, has even promised a $1 million check to a randomly chosen registered voter in a crucial swing state each day, if they sign a petition created by his pro-Trump America PAC (to which he has donated at least $119 million).

He may have contributed millions more through "untraceable donations to pro-Trump dark money groups (which he has done in the past)", said MotherJones.

Another crucial way Musk is backing Trump is via his platform X (formerly Twitter), posting about him relentlessly. Considering Musk's follower count and an algorithm "rigged to boost his own tweets", that amounts to an estimated further $100 million.

Bill Gates (Harris, almost certainly)

The Microsoft co-founder is known for steering clear of public endorsements, and this election is no different. But according to The New York Times, he has privately donated $50 million to a non-profit organisation supporting Harris' campaign. "In private calls this year to friends and others, Mr. Gates has expressed concern about what a second Donald Trump presidency would look like," the newspaper wrote, citing a source close to Gates.

A non-profit doesn't disclose its donors, so it won't appear on any public filings. In a statement which still did not confirm or deny the donation, Gates said: "I have a long history of working with leaders across the political spectrum, but this election is different, with unprecedented significance for Americans and the most vulnerable people around the world."

Jeff Bezos (Trump, allegedly)

The founder of Amazon and the world's fourth-richest man Bezos said Trump "showed tremendous grace and courage under literal fire" after the July assassination attempt.

Although he has not explicitly endorsed Trump, he blocked his newspaper, The Washington Post, from endorsing a candidate for the first time in decades. The move "sparked an uproar", including a quarter of a million cancelled subscriptions and concerns about conflicts with Bezos's financial interests, said The Washington Post.

Trump's allies "cheered these developments", while a Trump fundraiser told the paper: "I think that's a $50 million endorsement for Trump. Not picking a horse is picking a horse."

Michael Bloomberg (Harris, definitely)

The founder of Bloomberg and former New York mayor is a major Democrat donor and one of the most prolific individual donors to Harris groups, said Forbes. "His total financial commitment toward Democratic causes now reportedly approaches nearly $100 million."

Although he does not agree with Harris "on every issue", he voted for her "without hesitation", he wrote in an essay published by Bloomberg on Thursday. The foremost reason for voting for Harris was a consideration of "personal integrity", he said. "Trump is not fit for high office."

Warren Buffet (unclear)

A long-time Democratic supporter, Buffett appeared onstage with Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election.

Since then, the Berkshire Hathaway CEO and world's sixth-richest person has "avoided donating to federal political candidates as he aimed to spare his companies and employees from any potential backlash", said Bloomberg.

Berkshire Hathaway said in a statement on Wednesday that "there have been numerous fraudulent claims" around Buffett's "endorsement and support of political candidates", and reiterated that he "does not currently and will not prospectively" publicly back any candidates.

Mark Zuckerberg (unclear)

The Meta CEO and planet's third wealthiest person, is not endorsing either candidate – nor did he in 2016 or 2020. But the Facebook co-founder did call Trump's response to the July assassination attempt "badass", and reportedly phoned Trump to wish him a speedy recovery. The Republican candidate claims that Zuckerberg told him, "I will never vote for people running against you after watching what you did."

However, the relationship between the two is complicated at best: Trump has in the past threatened to send Zuckerberg to prison for life. Facebook and Meta Platforms co-founder Dustin Moskovitz is one of Harris's foremost billionaire donors.

Larry Ellison (unclear)

The world's second-richest person Ellison is "one of the most surprising billionaires who has stayed quiet" in this election cycle, said Forbes.

But the Billionaire Oracle co-founder and CEO has donated "millions" to Republican causes in the past. In the Republican primary, he backed Tim Scott with one of the most significant donations of the 2022 election cycle.