Companies have plenty of money, and donating to a candidate for the U.S. elections is one way they use their deep pockets.
Adding to a campaign’s funds allows the candidate to use the money for operations costs or to market themselves as the best candidate. When a company donates to a presidential candidate, it usually means it thinks that person will ensure its best interests when they enter the Oval Office.
Which candidate have companies donated to this election?
As the 2024 U.S. election season continues on, many companies have already made the majority of the donations they’ll pass out and have decided which candidate they prefer.
Blackstone
The investment company Blackstone has made the most donations of any company in the U.S. so far. According to Quiver Quantitative, as of September 30, they gave over $7 million in campaign funds to both candidates.
However, their favorite candidate for the elections has been Trump, as they have supplied more than $6 million in funding, compared to the $1 million they have handed to Kamala and Biden throughout 2024.
Microsoft
While Blackstone leans red, Microsoft has been leaning blue this election. The tech giant has donated about $4.3 million to both campaigns, with about $3.4 million going to the Democrats. Meanwhile, it has only donated about $800,000 to the Republican side.
Google is another tech giant that leans blue. The company has donated more than $4.7 million, with about $4.1 million going to Biden when he was running and Kamala Harris in more recent donations. Meanwhile, Trump and other Republicans have only received a little more than $600 thousand in comparison.
Charles Schwab
The financial services company leans Republican like its investment company counterpart, Blackstone. However, it has donated significantly less than Blackstone, making candidate donations of nearly $3 million to Trump and fellow Republicans. Meanwhile, they have given a negligible amount to the blue cause.
Netflix
The streaming platform is the antithesis of Charles Schwab, donating exclusively to Biden and Harris. The makers of hit series like “Stranger Things” and “Bridgerton” have donated a huge sum to the blue side, donating nearly $4.5 million. This follows the trend of techy companies leaning more Democratic.
Intercontinental Exchange
Going against the grain of tech companies being blue is Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). ICE operates global financial exchanges and does everything digitally. The company has donated nearly $1.9 million to the red side of the 2024 U.S. elections.
While ICE qualifies as a tech company, it is also involved in finance like Charles Schwab and Blackstone, leaning into the trend of finance-focused companies preferring Trump and other Republicans.