• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Leadership

This Is How Much Warren Buffett Is Spending Campaigning for Hillary Clinton

By
Alexandra Mondalek
Alexandra Mondalek
and
Money
Money
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Alexandra Mondalek
Alexandra Mondalek
and
Money
Money
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 2, 2016, 10:48 AM ET

This piece originally appeared on Money.com.

Hillary Clinton may be having a tough time reaching average American voters, but she’s having no trouble courting billionaires.

On Monday afternoon, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) CEO Warren Buffett delivered a speech at a Hillary Clinton campaign event in his hometown, a few months after endorsing the Democratic nominee for president.

In December, Buffett formally endorsed Clinton, and has been campaigning for her on and off since. At a campaign event in 2015, Buffett opened for Clinton with the description of this economic reality: “The income of the top 400 is seven times what it was twenty years ago. I hope all of you are making seven times what it was twenty years ago, but you would really be the exceptions … They got a one-third tax cut at the same time their income went up seven-to-one in aggregate.”

Income inequality and taxes are two themes Buffett speaks about frequently (so much so that President Barack Obama named the idea of increasing taxes on the wealthiest Americans “The Buffett Rule“).

And this isn’t the first race in which Buffett has backed Clinton. In fact, the investing legend has donated to her bids for public office as early as 2000, when she ran for a U.S. Senate seat from New York. According to the Federal Election Commission, Buffett donated roughly $6,000 directly to Clinton’s campaigns via individual contributions in the last 15 years.

The sum may seem small given Buffett’s wealth and propensity for charitable giving. But he’s long been an ardent supporter of keeping big money out of politics, especially since the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision. This ruling held that corporations and unions can spend unlimited amounts on political activities, provided their efforts are independent of a party or candidate. Individuals may only donate $2,700 per election cycle to a given candidate’s campaign, a limit Buffett has largely abided by.

But even that is not without exception. In October 2014, Buffett gave $25,000, the most he’s donated to benefit any single candidate, to a Super PAC dedicated to helping Clinton, called Ready for Hillary. To be sure, Buffett has given sums totaling $30,000 or more to the Democratic National Committee, according to FEC records.

Of course, Buffett has also aided Clinton’s campaign by holding fundraising events for the Democratic nominee. Politico reported in January that Buffett held a fundraiser for Clinton that charged $33,400 per person.

For the fourth-richest man in the world to speak out about disproportionate income tax rates and inequality may seem ironic, but he wouldn’t be the first billionaire to endorse Clinton. Over the weekend, Dallas Mavericks owner and investor Mark Cuban endorsed Clinton, following in the footsteps of former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, who spoke at last week’s Democratic National Convention in favor of the nominee.

Remember the “Billionaires for Bush” parody website, when George W. ran? He certainly had a bona fide bunch of well-heeled donors. And Clinton does, too.

About the Authors
By Alexandra Mondalek
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Money
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump may have shot himself in the foot at the Fed, as Powell could stay on while Miran resigns from White House post
By Eleanor PringleFebruary 4, 2026
18 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
In 2026, many employers are ditching merit-based pay bumps in favor of ‘peanut butter raises’
By Emma BurleighFebruary 2, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Tech stocks go into free fall as it dawns on traders that AI has the ability to cut revenues across the board
By Jim EdwardsFebruary 4, 2026
23 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Cybersecurity
Top AI leaders are begging people not to use Moltbook, a social media platform for AI agents: It’s a ‘disaster waiting to happen’
By Eva RoytburgFebruary 2, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
North America
Gates Foundation doubles down on foreign aid as U.S. government largely withdraws
By Thalia Beaty and The Associated PressFebruary 3, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Peter Thiel warns the Antichrist and apocalypse are linked to the ‘end of modernity’ currently happening—and cites Greta Thunberg as a driving example
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 4, 2026
14 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Leadership

NewslettersCEO Daily
Less than 10% of employees believe their bosses are demonstrating moral leadership
By Diane BradyFebruary 5, 2026
1 hour ago
bunny
North AmericaSports
Why Bad Bunny is essential to the future of the NFL, even if Trump hates his halftime show
By Jared Bahir Browsh and The ConversationFebruary 4, 2026
12 hours ago
AILayoffs
Pinterest cracks down on dissent, fires engineers for an internal layoff tool as AI shake-ups keep employees on edge and in line
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezFebruary 4, 2026
13 hours ago
Young woman dressed in a suit completing an online payment with her credit card
EconomyU.S. economy
Having a college degree still matters for being one of the wealthier Americans, New York Fed says
By Tristan BoveFebruary 4, 2026
15 hours ago
f500-2018-united-rentals
NewslettersCIO Intelligence
Why United Rentals’ CTO tried to break his own AI agent before giving it to thousands of employees
By John KellFebruary 4, 2026
16 hours ago
C-Suitesubscription economy
The CEO of $11 billion Oura explains why customers must shell out for subscription fees after paying $349 or more for the ring
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezFebruary 4, 2026
17 hours ago