David Ellison, the son of Republican megadonor Larry Ellison, made a significant $929,600 donation to support the re-election efforts of President Joe Biden, making him one of the top recent donors to the incumbent Democrat. This donation is the largest recorded contribution that the CEO of Skydance Media has ever made to a federal candidate, according to Federal Election Commission records. In the first quarter of 2024, other notable contributors who gave the same amount as David Ellison include attorney George Conway and Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskowitz. Surprisingly, Larry Ellison, historically a major GOP donor, has not made any federal political donations so far in 2024, after contributing over $31 million to Republican candidates during the 2022 congressional midterms.
The donation from David Ellison to support Biden’s re-election is seen as a significant move, considering his family ties and the fact that his father, Larry Ellison, has not made any political contributions this election cycle. Charles Myers, a former vice chairman at investment bank Evercore and a Biden campaign bundler, emphasized the impact of David Ellison’s donation, comparing it to a hypothetical scenario where one of George Soros’ sons would support Trump. Biden’s allies, including Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg, made a concerted effort to recruit David Ellison’s support and secure his substantial donation, in preparation for the upcoming presidential election against the presumptive Republican nominee, Trump.
The efforts to gain David Ellison’s support and donation were largely orchestrated by Jeffrey Katzenberg, who co-chairs Biden’s campaign and arranged for a meeting between Ellison and Biden. Ellison attended a private roundtable discussion in Los Angeles featuring Biden and a select group of wealthy donors in December, which was hosted at the home of Kurt Rappaport, a real estate investor and Biden donor. Subsequently, David Ellison made his donation to the Biden Victory Fund, which supports the Biden campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and various state parties. Rappaport had also contributed $929,600 to the fund in July, according to FEC records.
David Ellison’s donation significantly boosted the fundraising efforts of the Biden Victory Fund, helping to raise over $121 million in the first quarter of the year. In comparison, a similar entity supporting Trump, called Trump Save America, raised more than $65 million in the same quarter. Despite the substantial financial support for Biden’s re-election campaign, a recent poll showed Biden trailing Trump by a single percentage point, indicating a closely contested election ahead. Larry Ellison, on the other hand, reportedly supported Sen. Tim Scott in his presidential bid but did not contribute to his campaign, and is now reportedly trying to sell Scott as Trump’s potential running mate.
Although the Ellisons may be supporting different candidates in the 2024 election, they are collaborating on a major media deal. David Ellison’s Skydance Media recently made an offer to acquire National Amusements and merge with Paramount Pictures, with Larry Ellison planning to assist in funding the proposed deal. However, neither David Ellison’s spokesperson nor Katzenberg and the Biden campaign provided any comments or additional information regarding the donation and support for Biden’s re-election campaign.
