Biden fund gets big donation from son of Republican megadonor Larry Ellison

David
Ellison,
the
son
of
Republican
megadonor

Larry
Ellison,
gave
$929,600
to
back
the
reelection
efforts
of
President

Joe
Biden,
putting
him
among
the
top
recent
donors
to
the
incumbent
Democrat.

David
Ellison’s
donation
is
the
largest
recorded
contribution
that
the

Skydance
Media
CEO
ever
made
to
a
federal
candidate,
according
to

Federal
Election
Commission
records.

His
contribution
in
February
to
the
Biden
Victory
Fund
is
tied
with
other
large
contributors
in
the
first
quarter
of
2024.

Others
who
gave
the
same
amount
as
David
Ellison
in
that
quarter
include
the
attorney
George
Conway,
who
is
a
leading
critic
of
former
President

Donald
Trump,
and


Facebook
co-founder
Dustin
Moskovitz.

David
Ellison’s
donation
comes
as
his
father,
Larry
Ellison,
the
chairman
of
Oracle,
has
kept
his
wallet
firmly
shut
this
election
cycle.

Larry
Ellison,
who
historically
has
been
a
major
Republican
donor,
has
not
made
a
single
federal
political
donation
so
far
in
2024,
records
show.
Ellison
donated
more
than
$31
million
to
GOP
candidates
during
the
2022
congressional
midterms,
according
to
data
from
OpenSecrets.

Charles
Myers,
the
former
vice
chairman
at
investment
bank
Evercore
and
a
Biden
campaign
bundler,
said
the
donation
from
David
Ellison
to
support
Biden
is
a “very
big
deal,”
citing
the
donor’s
family
ties.

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

Biden’s
allies
made
a
full-court
press
to
recruit
David
Ellison,
as
the
president’s
political
team
tries
to
build
a
campaign
war
chest
large
enough
to
effectively
battle
the
presumptive
Republican
nominee
Trump
in
the
presidential
election.

The
move
to
gain
David
Ellison’s
support
—
and
his
big
donation
—
was
largely
orchestrated
by
Hollywood
mogul
Jeffrey
Katzenberg,
according
to
a
person
with
direct
knowledge
of
the
matter,
who
was
granted
anonymity
to
discuss
private
matters.

Katzenberg
is
co-chair
of
Biden’s
campaign,
and
his
efforts
to
land
David
Ellison
as
a
backer
included
arranging
a
meeting
with
Biden,
the
source
said.

David
Ellison,
in
December,
attended
a
private
roundtable
discussion
in
Los
Angeles
featuring
Biden
and
fewer
than
a
dozen
other
attendees
that
included
wealthy
donors,
the
source
said.
That
event
was
held
at
the
home
of
Kurt
Rappaport,
a
real
estate
investor
and
Biden
donor.

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

David
Ellison
made
his
donation
to
the
Biden
Victory
Fund
after
the
event
at
Rappaport’s
home.

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

David
Ellison’s
donation
helped
the
Biden
Victory
Fund
raise
more
than
$121
million
in
the
first
quarter
of
2024.
A
similar
entity
supporting
Trump
called
Trump
Save
America
raised
more
than
$65
million
that
quarter,
FEC
records
show.

Biden
is
trailing
Trump
by
a
single
percentage
point
in
the
latest
New
York
Times
and
Siena
College
public
opinion

poll.

Larry
Ellison
supported
Sen.
Tim
Scott,
R-S.C.,
in
his
bid
for
president
but
did
not
contribute
to
his
campaign.
He
is

now
reportedly
trying
to
sell
Scott
to
Trump’s
team
as
the
former
president’s
running
mate.

While
the
Ellisons
might
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
acquire
National
Amusements
and
merge
with
Paramount
Pictures.
Larry
Ellison,
who
has
a
reported
net
worth
of
more
than
$149
billion,
is

planning
to
help
fund
the
proposed
deal,
according
to
a
CNBC
report,
citing
sources.

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