Vice President Kamala Harris became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee shortly after President Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential race, and several prominent business leaders and billionaires have quickly moved to support her candidacy.
Harris’ ascent occurred after Democratic donors soured on Biden’s campaign in the wake of his poor performance in the first presidential debate at a pivotal time in the race when campaigns are typically ramping up spending as Election Day draws near.
In the wake of Biden’s withdrawal, donors poured funds into Vice President Harris’ campaign with $100 million raised from Sunday afternoon through Monday night, her campaign said Tuesday, highlighting what they said was the “largest 24-hour raise in presidential history.”
The influx of campaign donations comes as several notable billionaires and business leaders have publicly endorsed Harris, including some who had suggested there should be a competitive nomination process. Here’s a look at some of those billionaires and business leaders endorsing Harris:
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Vinod Khosla
The billionaire businessman and venture capitalist initially called for Democrats to have an open nominating process at the party’s convention, writing Sunday on X that it is “Time to have an open convention and get a more moderate candidate who can easily beat @realDonaldTrump.”
On Monday, Khosla posted on X, “Time for all ‘not MAGA’ folks to come together for @KamalaHarris to beat Trump and save our democracy, reject bad values, reject Project 2025 and the dictatorship that Trump loves, all while being a good global citizen.”
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Sheryl Sandberg
The former chief operating officer of Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, wrote Monday in a post on Instagram that she is “thrilled” to support Harris’ bid for the White House.
“Vice President @kamalaharris has already made history once – becoming the first Black and South Asian woman to hold her office, and she will do it again in November,” Sandberg wrote. “She is an accomplished leader, a fierce advocate of abortion rights, and the strongest candidate to lead our country forward.”
Reid Hoffman
The billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn immediately endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee in the wake of President Biden’s withdrawal on Sunday, calling her the “right person at the right time” to lead the party.
“The Biden-Harris administration has put this country on the right track. It’s time for us to unite. I wholeheartedly support Kamala Harris and her candidacy for President of the United States in our fight for democracy in November,” Hoffman wrote on X.
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Reed Hastings
The billionaire co-founder of Netflix and executive chair of the streaming giant was among the Democratic donors who called for Biden to exit the race in the wake of his debate performance in June.
Hastings initially suggested that delegates to next month’s Democratic convention in Chicago should go through the process of picking a candidate, writing on X that “Dem delegates need to pick a swing state winner.”
Despite his initial preference for an open convention process, Hastings told The Information that he had donated $7 million to a super PAC supporting the Harris campaign in what he said was his largest donation ever in support of a single candidate.
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George and Alex Soros
Alex Soros, the head of Soros Fund Management and the son of billionaire investor George Soros, wrote Sunday on X, “It’s time for us all to unite around Kamala Harris and beat Donald Trump. She is the best and most qualified candidate we have. Long live the American Dream!”
The Wall Street Journal reported that a spokesperson for George Soros said he also supports Harris as the Democratic nominee.
Melinda French Gates
The billionaire philanthropist and ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates wrote Monday on X that there “is so much riding on the election in November” and said the country needs a leader who will “stand up for reproductive freedom” and understands that “supporting caregivers leads to healthier families and a stronger economy” as well as the importance of empowering women.
“I am supporting Vice President Kamala Harris because she is that leader,” she wrote. “During her years in the White House, she has proven that she knows how to lead through crises while pushing for the change we need. I want her fighting for our country for the next four years.”
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