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Top 25 super PAC donors for 2012 election cycle

Rank Name Total Given Ideology
1 Sheldon Adelson & family (see profile) $93.3 million Republican
2 Harold Simmons & wife, companies (see profile) $30.9 million Republican
3 Bob Perry (see profile) $23.5 million Republican
4 Fred Eychaner (see profile) $14.1 million Democratic
5 Joe Ricketts (see profile) $13.1 million Republican
6 William S. Rose (Specialty Group) (see profile) $12.1 million Republican
7 United Auto Workers (see profile) $11.8 million Democratic
8 National Education Association (see profile) $10.8 million Democratic
9 Michael Bloomberg (see profile) $10 million Independent
10 Republican Governors Association (see profile) $9.8 million Republican
11 James H. Simons (see profile) $9.6 million Democratic
12 AFSCME (see profile) $8.2 million Democratic
13 AFL-CIO (see profile) $7.4 million Democratic
14 Robert B. Rowling (see profile) $6.1 million Republican
15 American Federation of Teachers (see profile) $5.8 million Democratic
16 Robert Mercer (see profile) $5.5 million Republican
17 Steve and Amber Mostyn (see profile) $5.2 million Democratic
18 George Soros* & family (see profile) $5.1 million Democratic
19 William Koch (see profile) $4.8 million Republican
20 Peter Thiel (see profile) $4.7 million Republican
21 SEIU (see profile) $4.4 million Democratic
21 Joe Craft (see profile) $4.4 million Republican
23 John Childs (see profile) $4.2 million Republican
23 Plumbers and Pipefitters Union (see profile) $4.2 million Democratic
25 Jerry Perenchio (see profile) $4.1 million Republican

*George Soros is the chairman of the Open Society Foundation, which provides funding for the Center for Public Integrity. See a list of the Center's donors.

Source/Methodology: Center for Responsive Politics and Center for Public Integrity analysis of Federal Election Commission records. Totals include contributions from individuals, family members and corporations that are controlled by the individual super donor. Totals reflect donations made during the 2011-2012 election cycle, through Nov. 26.

Super Donors

Meet the super donor 'all-stars'

Hover over each card to get key stats on the super PAC super donors. Read more about these donors here.

Sheldon Adelson

Sheldon Adelson

Net worth $20.5 billion
Age 79
Ideology Republican
Residence Las Vegas
Source of wealth Casinos
Current industry Casinos

Did you know?

Adelson is a college dropout, but has received honorary degrees from five schools, including Harvard Business School and Columbia Business School.

View the full profile

Harold Simmons

Harold Simmons

Net worth $9.3 billion
Age 81
Ideology Republican
Residence Dallas
Source of wealth Investing
Current industry Chemicals and metals

Did you know?

Known as the "king of Superfund sites," in several publications, Harold Simmons owns a ranch in Arkansas that is home to 35 bears and 100 elk. It is also stocked with 250 deer and 300 wild turkeys for hunting, according to the Wall Street Journal.

View the full profile

Bob Perry

Bob Perry

Net worth $650 million
Age 79
Ideology Republican
Residence Houston
Source of wealth Homebuilding
Current industry Homebuilding

Did you know?

Perry Homes has been involved in more than 100 lawsuits in the state of Texas since the early 1980s.

View the full profile

Fred Eychaner

Fred Eychaner

Net worth $500 million
Age 65
Ideology Democrat
Residence Chicago
Source of wealth Media and publishing
Current industry Media and publishing

Did you know?

Eychaner graduated from Northwestern University's prestigious Medill School of Journalism and worked as a sports reporter and city hall reporter before starting his printing business.

View the full profile

J. Joe Ricketts

J. Joe Ricketts

Net worth $1 billion (as of 2009)
Age 70
Ideology Republican
Residence Little Jackson Hole, Wyo.
Source of wealth Online brokerage
Current industry Baseball, bison ranching, media

Did you know?

Ricketts owns the world's largest online bison retail store. High Plains Bison supplies meat to Chicago's Wrigley Field, which he and his family own, along with the Cubs.

View the full profile

William S. Rose

William S. Rose

Net worth Unknown
Age 61
Ideology Republican
Residence Knoxville, Tenn.
Source of wealth Attorney
Current industry Attorney

Did you know?

Rose's $634,000 home, located in a Knoxville suburb, is the principal office of Specialty Group, the shadowy company through which he contributed millions to FreedomWorks for America.

View the full profile

United Auto Workers

United Auto Workers

Net worth N/A
Age 77
Ideology Democrat
Residence Detroit
Source of wealth Membership dues and other sources
Current industry Labor union

Did you know?

UAW not only represents auto workers but also workers in the aerospace, health care and gaming industries.

View the full profile

NEA (National Education Association)

NEA (National Education Association)

Net worth N/A
Age 155
Ideology Democrat
Residence Washington, D.C.
Source of wealth Membership dues and other sources
Current industry Teachers' union

Did you know?

The NEA is the nation's largest union, with more than 14,000 affiliate organizations across the country.

View the full profile

Michael Bloomberg

Michael Bloomberg

Net worth $22 billion
Age 70
Ideology Independent
Residence New York City
Source of wealth Financial information
Current industry Politics

Did you know?

Bloomberg refuses compensation for his service as mayor, instead accepting a nominal salary of $1 per year.

View the full profile

RGA

RGA

Net worth N/A
Age 49
Ideology Republican
Residence Washington, D.C.
Source of wealth Political contributions
Current industry Politics

Did you know?

The RGA's method of financing gubernatorial campaigns was called "an elaborate money-laundering scheme, which is legal" by a representative from the good government group Common Cause.

View the full profile

James Simons

James Simons

Net worth $11 billion
Age 74
Ideology Democrat
Residence East Setauket, N.Y.
Source of wealth Investing
Current industry Investing

Did you know?

Simons is an active philanthropist. In addition to chairing the nonprofit Math for America and supporting autism research, he funds a nature preserve and an organization that trains and supports rural health care workers in Nepal.

View the full profile

AFSCME

AFSCME

Net worth N/A
Age 80
Ideology Democrat
Residence Washington, D.C.
Source of wealth Membership dues and other sources
Current industry Labor union

Did you know?

AFSCME's president, Lee Saunders, is the labor union's first African-American leader and a product of a union upbringing. Saunders' father worked as a bus driver in Cleveland.

View the full profile

AFL-CIO

AFL-CIO

Net worth N/A
Age 57
Ideology Democrat
Residence Washington, D.C.
Source of wealth Membership dues and other sources
Current industry Labor union

Did you know?

AFL, one of the first federations of labor unions, was founded 126 years ago. From the creation of CIO in 1935 to the AFL-CIO merger in 1955, the two union federations were rivals.

View the full profile

Robert Rowling

Robert Rowling

Net worth $4.8 billion
Age 59
Ideology Republican
Residence Highland Park, Texas
Source of wealth Oil and gas
Current industry Various

Did you know?

In a 2008 profile, the Dallas Morning News called Rowling's empire "a grab bag" that includes hotels, fitness centers, oil and gas assets, financial and energy stock, real estate and "even a chain of Mexican dollar stores.”

View the full profile

American Federation of Teachers

American Federation of Teachers

Net worth N/A
Age 96
Ideology Democrat
Residence Washington, D.C.
Source of wealth Membership dues and other sources
Current industry Labor union

Did you know?

AFT is the nation's second largest teachers union after the National Education Association, another super donor.

View the full profile

Robert Mercer

Robert Mercer

Net worth Net worth unknown. Made $125 million in 2011.
Age 65
Ideology Republican
Residence East Setauket, N.Y.
Source of wealth Investing
Current industry Investing

Did you know?

In July 2010, Mercer made a $1 million donation to the New York State Conservative Party to fund an ad campaign opposing construction of the controversial Ground Zero mosque.

View the full profile

Steve and Amber Mostyn

Steve and Amber Mostyn

Net worth Unknown
Age Steve, 41; Amber, unknown
Ideology Democrat
Residence Houston
Source of wealth Insurance litigation
Current industry Insurance litigation

Did you know?

At Steve and Amber Mostyns' 2006 lakeside wedding ceremony, ushers wore bright orange Hawaiian shirts. At the reception, guests visited a buffet-style mashed potato bar.

View the full profile

George Soros

George Soros

Net worth $19 billion
Age 82
Ideology Democrat
Residence Katonah, N.Y.
Source of wealth Investing
Current industry Investing

Did you know?

Soros is known as "the man who broke the bank of England" for betting against the British pound sterling and netting approximately $1 billion when the currency crashed in September 1992.

View the full profile

William Koch

William Koch

Net worth $4 billion
Age 72
Ideology Republican
Residence Palm Beach, Fla.
Source of wealth Energy
Current industry Energy

Did you know?

In 2010, Koch spent $3.1 million on a fake Colorado ghost town that had served as a local tourist attraction and the set for old Westerns, including "True Grit" staring John Wayne. He had the buildings moved to his personal ranch.

View the full profile

Peter Thiel

Peter Thiel

Net worth $1.5 billion
Age 44
Ideology Republican-leaning Libertarian
Residence San Francisco
Source of wealth PayPal co-founder
Current industry Investing

Did you know?

Thiel is the creator of the "20 Under 20" program, which gives would-be college students $100,000 each to start their own businesses instead of going to college. He has also donated $1.25 million to the Seasteading Institute, which wants to create undersea colonies that would function as experiments in Libertarian government.

View the full profile

SEIU

SEIU

Net worth N/A
Age 90
Ideology Democrats
Residence Washington, D.C.
Source of wealth Membership dues and other sources
Current industry Labor union

Did you know?

SEIU claims to be "the fastest growing union in North America" with a membership of 2.1 million workers primarily in the service sector, including healthcare, food service, security and janitorial jobs.

View the full profile

Joe Craft

Joe Craft

Net worth $1.4 billion
Age 62
Ideology Republican
Residence Tulsa, Okla.
Source of wealth Coal
Current industry Coal

Did you know?

Craft's company, Alliance Resource Partners, operates 11 mining complexes in five states. Alliance produced more than 30 million tons of coal in 2011.

View the full profile

John Childs

John Childs

Net worth $1.2 billion in 2006
Age 70
Ideology Republican
Residence Vero Beach, Fla.
Source of wealth Investing
Current industry Investing

Did you know?

As president of Wetlands Americas Trust, Childs fundraises for Ducks Unlimited, a Florida-based wetland and waterfowl conservation charity.

View the full profile

United Association

United Association

Net worth N/A
Age 123
Ideology Democrat
Residence Annapolis, Md.
Source of wealth Membership dues and other sources
Current industry Labor union

Did you know?

The United Association's full name is the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry.

View the full profile

A. Jerrold "Jerry" Perenchio

A. Jerrold “Jerry” Perenchio

Net worth $2.4 billion
Age 81
Ideology Republican
Residence Bel Air, Calif.
Source of wealth Entertainment
Current industry Investing

Did you know?

The former owner of Univision once represented Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor. He lives in the mansion used for establishing shots in the "Beverly Hillbillies."

View the full profile

William Doré

William Doré

Net worth $700 million*
Age 70
Ideology Republican
Residence Lake Charles, La.
Source of wealth Offshore diving and construction
Current industry Energy

Did you know?

Doré wanted to become a teacher and coach, but after making good money selling insurance in college, he decided he wanted a higher standard of living. He began offshore diving, a notoriously dangerous and lucrative line of work.

* William J. Doré made $700 million in 2006 in the sale of Global Industries.

View the full profile

Harlan Crow

Harlan Crow

Net worth Estimated hundreds of millions
Age 62
Ideology Republican
Residence Dallas
Source of wealth Real Estate
Current industry Real Estate

Did you know?

In the sprawling private garden of his home — one of the most expensive in Dallas — Crow collects statues of dictators, including Lenin, Mao, Stalin and other lesser known despots and assassins.

View the full profile

Cooperative of American Physicians

Cooperative of American Physicians

Net worth N/A
Age 37
Ideology Bipartisan
Residence Los Angeles
Source of wealth Insurance
Current industry Insurance

Did you know?

Six states — including California, the Cooperative of American Physicians's primary area of service — account for 51.4 percent of medical malpractice payouts.

View the full profile

Foster Friess

Foster Friess

Net worth $500 million
Age 72
Ideology Republican
Residence Jackson, Wyo.
Source of wealth Investing
Current industry Investing

Did you know?

Friess drew criticism for his comment on contraceptives to MSNBC: “You know, back in my days, they’d use Bayer aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees, and it wasn’t that costly.”

View the full profile

Graphic by Ajani Winston

Click here to view sources

Super Donors

Sheldon Adelson, chairman and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corp. Vincent Yu/AP file

Donor profile: Sheldon Adelson

By Alexandra Duszak

Ranking: 1

Total contributions to super PACs: $93.3 million*

Continue reading this story

Super Donors

Harold Simmons, owner of Contran Corp. and Valhi, Inc. YouTube

Donor profile: Harold Simmons

By Alexandra Duszak and Dave Levinthal

Ranking: 2

Total contributions to super PACs: $30.9 million*

  • $23.5 million to American Crossroads (pro-Republican), including $3 million from Contran Corp.
  • $2.3 million to Restore Our Future (pro-Mitt Romney)
  • $1.2 million to Red White and Blue Fund (pro-Rick Santorum), all from his wife, Annette Simmons
  • $1.1 million to Winning Our Future (pro-Newt Gingrich)
  • $1.1 million to the Texas Conservatives Fund (pro-David Dewhurst)
  • $1 million to Make Us Great Again (pro-Rick Perry), all from Contran Corp.
  • $500,000 to Conservative Renewal (pro-Dewhurst)
  • $100,000 to Restoring Prosperity Fund (pro-Perry, formerly Americans for Rick Perry)
  • $50,000 to Strong Utah (pro-Orrin Hatch)
  • $25,000 to Women Speak Out PAC (pro-Republican)
  • $10,000 to Conservatives Acting Together (pro-conservative)
  • $5,000 to Freedom PAC (pro-Connie Mack; pro-Allen West)

Notable federal hard money and 527 contributions:

  • $2 million to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (2004)
  • $500,000 to Progress for America Voter Fund (2004)
  • $2.9 million to American Issues Project (2008)

Notable state-level contributions:

Continue reading this story

Super Donors

Super donor Bob Perry, owner of Perry Homes Bob Perry website

Donor profile: Bob Perry

By Alexandra Duszak

Ranking: 3

Total contributions to super PACs: $23.5 million*

  • $10 million to Restore Our Future (pro-Mitt Romney)
  • $8.5 million to American Crossroads (pro-Republican)
  • $1 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund (pro-Republican)
  • $1 million to Independence Virginia PAC (pro-George Allen)
  • $1 million to Club for Growth Action (pro-conservative)
  • $1 million to Freedom Fund North America (pro-Denny Rehberg; pro-Rick Berg)
  • $600,000 to Texas Conservatives Fund (pro-David Dewhurst)
  • $250,000 to Freedom PAC (pro-Connie Mack; pro-Allen West)
  • $100,000 to Make Us Great Again (pro-Rick Perry)
  • $15,000 to Maverick PAC USA (pro-Republican)

Notable federal hard money and 527 contributions:

Continue reading this story

Super Donors

Original image, Conspirator/Flickr CC

Donor profile: National Education Association

By Paul Abowd

Ranking: 8

Total contributions to super PACs: $10.8 million*

  • $9.3 million to NEA Advocacy Fund (pro-NEA)
  • $861,000 to Rethink PAC (pro-Elizabeth Warren)
  • $420,000 to Protect Our Schools Fund (pro-John Tierney)
  • $200,000 to American Bridge 21st Century (pro-Democratic)
  • $25,000 to America Votes Action Fund (pro-Democratic)
  • $5,000 to The American Worker (pro-Democratic)
  • $5,000 to Patriot Majority (pro-Democratic) 
  • $5,000 to Young Democrats of America (pro-Democratic)

Federal hard money and 527 contributions:

Total spent on federal lobbying (2007-2012): $30 million

Lobbying issues: Education, budget appropriations, taxes, labor issues.

Background:

The nation’s largest union, claiming 3 million public educators, endorsed President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign in July 2012. It ramped up its spending since.

In March 2012, the teachers union gave $3 million to its super PAC, the NEA Advocacy Fund. (It's given an additional $6.3 million since then.)

Continue reading this story

Super Donors

Founder and former CEO of Renaissance Technologies James Simons, speaking at the "Differential Geometry, Mathematical Physics, Mathematics and Society" conference in 2007. Creative Commons

Donor profile: James H. Simons

By Alexandra Duszak

Ranking: 11

Total contributions to super PACs: $9.6 million*

Notable federal hard money and 527 contributions:

Continue reading this story

Super Donors

Founder and former CEO of Renaissance Technologies James Simons, speaking at the "Differential Geometry, Mathematical Physics, Mathematics and Society" conference in 2007. Creative Commons

Pro-GOP donor one-upped by boss's support of Democratic PAC

By John Dunbar

Backer of Democrats and hedge fund billionaire James H. Simons jumps to No. 8 on The Center for Public Integrity’s list of top donors to super PACs, surpassing his former protégé, GOP supporter Robert Mercer, who ranks No. 9.

Democrats also came up with a counter to pro-Republican homebuilder Bob Perry (No. 3 with a bullet), who backed efforts in Texas to pass laws that lower jury verdicts. Husband-and-wife trial lawyers Steve and Amber Mostyn, also of Texas, make their first appearance on the list at No. 10.

Super PACs — organizations that formed in the wake of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision — filed reports with the Federal Election Commission last week.

Continue reading this story

Super Donors

TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts. Nati Harnik/AP

Donor profile: Joe Ricketts

By Reity O'Brien

Online brokerage billionaire Joe Ricketts became a top 10 super donor thanks to a major September spending spree. Ricketts dumped more than $12 million into Ending Spending Action Fund — the super PAC he created to back fiscally conservative candidates.

Continue reading this story

Super Donors

Donor profile: United Auto Workers

By Alexandra Duszak

Ranking: 7

Total contributions to super PACs: $11.8 million*

  • $11.4 million to UAW Education Fund (pro-Democratic)
  • $200,000 to Priorities USA Action (pro-Barack Obama)
  • $108,000 to Working for Us PAC (pro-Democratic)
  • $100,000 to Majority PAC (pro-Democratic)
  • $15,000 to American Votes Action Fund (pro-Democratic)

Federal hard money and 527 contributions:

  • Has donated more than $1.4 million to federal candidates through its political action committee so far this cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. All but $4,000 has gone to Democrats.

Total spent on federal lobbying (2007-2012): $11.4 million

Lobbying issues: Medicare and Medicaid, banking, appropriations, automotive industry, defense, defense, retirement savings, taxes, trade, unemployment and numerous other legislative issues.

Background:

The United Auto Workers has become a major backer of President Barack Obama and the $81.3 billion federal bailout, which was credited with saving Chrysler and General Motors.

The bailout was a key 2012 campaign issue for Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, especially in the Midwest, where hundreds of thousands of auto workers live.

Continue reading this story

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