Just under a dozen donors have paid $1 billion to super PACs in the eight years since they were created, The Washington Post reports.
According to data from the Federal Election Commission and the Center for Responsive Politics, eleven people are responsible for twenty percent of the $4.5 billion donated to super PACs since 2010. Of these eleven, five are Democrats, five are Republicans, and the other is former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who initially served as a Republican before leaving the party and declaring himself an independent. Earlier this month, Bloomberg announced that he registered as a Democrat.
“The big donor is not just a donor who gives to politicians and parties. The big donor has become a political actor in his own right,” campaign finance historian Robert E. Mutch told the newspaper.
Sheldon and Miriam Adelson, founders of the Adelson Foundation, are the largest donors, having given $287 million to various conservative super PACs. Tom Steyer, a Democrat and founder of the investment firm Farallon Capital, is the second-largest donor at $213.8 million, followed by Bloomberg with $120.7 million.
The Post notes that these donations only count money given to super PACs, and do not include “contributions to politically active nonprofits,” which are not required to disclose their donors.