After decades on the political fringes: Bill Gates donates $50 million to Kamala Harris

The philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates said privately that he had donated about $50 million to a nonprofit that supports the vice president’s presidential bid. Kamala Harris .

This was confirmed by three sources close to the matter. in conversation with him New York Times .

According to them, the donation to his campaign had to remain secret .

These are relevant statements, since Gates has not publicly supported either candidate and has been mostly reluctant for decades. to explicitly express their political preferences in party terms.

The information was leaked two weeks before the presidential elections are held USA .

These are intended for next November 5 .

For example, Harris will go with Tim Walz (Governor of Minnesota) as a vice-presidential candidate.

For his part, the former president Donald Trump will feature JD Vance (Ohio senator) as vice-presidential candidate.

Unlike other businessmen like Elon Musk, who actively participated in Trump’s political campaign, Gates has not openly expressed his preference for Harris .

However, after these claims were shared, shared a statement to the aforementioned American newspaper.

One of the sources consulted by the Times declared that Gates made private calls to friends and others throughout this year.

During these conversations, the person familiar with the matter stated: The philanthropist expressed concern about the possibility of Trump returning to the White House. .

However, he emphasized that I could work with either candidate. to the presidency.

Even though Gates does not have a deep relationship with Harris, appreciated the actions of President Joe Biden’s administration and the vice president on climate change .

Two sources close to the philanthropic organization of the co-founder of Microsoft, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation they said to Times that He also worries about possible cuts to family planning and global health programs if Trump wins the election. .

People familiar with the matter said the approximately $50 million donation was made to Future Forward, the main outside fundraising group supporting Harris .

More precisely, to Future Forward USA Action, the nonprofit arm by Future Forward.

Sources assured that it is a 501(c)(4) organization, so does not reveal its donors .

That too implies that the names of those who contribute do not appear in public records .

From the future forward They declined to comment. on reports of Gates’ donation, according to the American newspaper.

Questioned on this subject by the Times, Gates shared a statement in which he did not explicitly reference the donation .

He has also not openly expressed his support for Harris. for the November electoral process.

According to the aforementioned media outlet, while referring to his bipartisanship, he He assured that “these elections are different” .

“I support candidates who demonstrate a clear commitment to improving healthcare, reducing poverty and tackling climate change in the United States and around the world,” Gates said.

Then he added: “I have a long history of working with leaders across the political spectrum, but This election is different, and of unprecedented importance to Americans and the world’s most vulnerable people. “.

Two of the sources consulted by the Times they said that Gates was constantly encouraged by his Democratic friends and donors to get involved in the campaign to defeat Trump, but he resisted. .

Previously, in 2019, the philanthropist said that preferred “not to participate in large political donations” .

“There are times when it can be tempting and there are people who choose to do it, but I I don’t want to grab this gigantic megaphone “, he declared on this occasion.