(Forbes) A full 45 billionaires and their spouses donated to Booker’s campaign, one third of whom owe their fortunes to technology companies. Google investor John Doerr, Salesforce founder Marc Benioff and Airbnb cofounder Joe Gebbia all backed the New Jersey senator. Eric Schmidt, whose venture capital firm previously invested in a video-sharing platform that Booker cofounded, pitched in as well.
Booker got additional support from Wall Street. Nearly one third of his donors made their fortunes in finance and investments. That bunch includes hedge funder Bill Ackman, Blackstone executives Jonathan Gray and Hamilton “Tony” James as well as Toby Cooperman, who is married to the hedge fund billionaire Leon Cooperman. “Cory is a good man,” Cooperman, who famously sparred with Elizabeth Warren over her wealth tax proposal in November, wrote in an email. “I have made no political contributions because my money is earmarked to help real people in need.”
Booker also raised money from director Steven Spielberg and Mellody Hobson, the wife of another Hollywood billionaire, Star Wars creator George Lucas.
The donors have pitched in steadily. Forbes found 15 who gave to Booker’s campaign in his first fundraising quarter, 16 in the second quarter and 14 in the third, which ended September 30.
Booker has also gotten some help from super PACs, groups that are not controlled by campaigns but can buy ads to support or oppose particular candidates. The first pro-Booker super PAC, Dream United, launched in early 2019. It raised $1.1 million—much of it from Susan Sandler, heiress to the Golden West banking fortune—before it was announced that it would shut down in late November. A new super PAC popped up in its wake, called United We Win. That group, which has not yet disclosed its donors, is best known for funding an ad called “The Other Rhodes Scholar,” which presents Booker as an alternative to 2020 rival Pete Buttigieg.
Despite all the support, Booker still did not qualify for the Democratic debate in December.
