Bill Ackman, founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management.
Adam Jeffery | CNBC
Billionaire hedge fund chief Bill Ackman made a donation of $3,300 to Democrat and anti-vaccine presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign during the second quarter, as per a Federal Election Commission filing.
Ackman’s donation came shortly after he publicly supported Kennedy’s controversial stance on vaccines through a tweet.
When questioned about his donation, Ackman stated that listening to RFK’s podcasts and town hall discussions convinced him of the importance of addressing vaccine-related concerns. However, he did not confirm the donation at that time.
Apart from Ackman, several other prominent business leaders also made donations to Kennedy’s campaign in the second quarter. The Purple Good Government PAC, mainly funded by investor David Sacks, a close associate of Elon Musk, donated $6,600 to the campaign.
Ken Fisher, the founder and executive chairman of Fisher Investments, also contributed $6,600 to the campaign.
Omeed Malik, an experienced Wall Street executive, donated $6,600 to the Kennedy campaign. Malik is hosting a fundraiser for Kennedy in the Hamptons this month. Brett Messing, a partner at Anthony Scaramucci’s SkyBridge Capital, also made a donation, as reported in the filing.
A donor named Eric Clapton, believed to be the famous English guitarist, contributed $5,000 to Kennedy’s campaign. However, the filing indicates a refund in the subsequent period, raising doubts about the donor’s identity. Donations from foreign nationals are prohibited by federal law.
The maximum amount an individual can contribute to a candidate’s campaign in either a primary or general election season within an election cycle is $3,300. A $6,600 donation can be split between the primary and general election accounts.
The second quarter encompasses the period from April 1 to June 30.
Ackman’s spokesperson declined to provide a comment. Requests for comments from Sacks, Fisher, and Clapton’s representatives went unanswered.
Sacks co-hosted an event in June with tech leader Chamath Palihapitiya, which raised approximately $500,000. The Kennedy campaign raised over $6 million, with over $4 million remaining. Neither Sacks nor Palihapitiya are listed as contributors to Kennedy’s campaign in the fundraising filing.
In the second quarter, President Joe Biden raised over $72 million, surpassing Kennedy’s fundraising efforts.
According to a June Quinnipiac poll, Biden enjoys 70% support among Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters, while Kennedy stands at 17% among the same groups.
Contributed by CNBC’s Kevin Breuninger.
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