Which individual tech billionaires donated to both Republican and Democratic causes in 2024–2026, and what motives did commentators ascribe to them?
Executive summary
Reporting does not produce a long list of named tech billionaires who overtly and substantially gave large sums to both Republican and Democratic causes during 2024–2026; instead, the available sources describe a broader industry pattern of hedging, partisan realignment and targeted single‑side mega‑gifts (notably many big tech figures moved large sums to Trump‑aligned groups in 2024–25) while commentators say motives were principally regulatory access, risk‑management and influence over policy that affects their businesses [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. Who actually appears to have given to both parties — the evidence and the gaps
Public reporting and FEC analyses cited by The Guardian, NBC and OpenSecrets identify many tech and crypto billionaires as major political spenders in 2024 and 2025, but they rarely show the same named individuals making large, disclosed gifts to both major parties in that specific window; instead the record shows some donors concentrating big donations to Trump‑aligned super PACs (for example Alexander Karp gave $1 million to MAGA Inc. in late 2024 after prior, much smaller GOP gifts) and other well‑known tech donors concentrated on pro‑Biden vehicles (for example Reid Hoffman’s large pro‑Biden super PAC gift) — the reporting documents industry‑wide bipartisan spending strategies but does not compile a verified list of tech billionaires who materially backed both parties in 2024–2026 [2] [5] [3] [1].
2. Examples reporters highlight that illustrate the pattern, not a tidy “both‑sides” list
Several high‑profile tech and crypto figures stand out in the coverage: Elon Musk emerges as a massive Republican backer by dollar amounts in the 2024 cycle (OpenSecrets), Alexander Karp and other AI or data‑company CEOs gave large sums to Trump‑aligned entities in late 2024 and 2025 (NBC), and crypto industry figures such as Chris Larsen were major spenders in 2024 as the industry sought friendly regulation (The Guardian) — at the same time, LinkedIn co‑founder Reid Hoffman and a set of Silicon Valley backers were large contributors to pro‑Biden/Harris super PACs, demonstrating a split across the sector rather than a clear roster of individuals giving big to both parties [5] [2] [1] [3].
3. What commentators and watchdogs say about motives — access, hedging and regulatory self‑interest
Analysts and advocacy groups interpret tech billionaires’ political giving as driven by pragmatic self‑interest: to secure favorable regulation and antitrust treatment, to inoculate businesses against political risk, and to preserve access to incoming administrations — that reading underpins accounts in the Brennan Center and Marketplace, which say big donors use money to push preferred policy outcomes and “have a bipartisan presence” so industry preferences survive across administrations [3] [4].
4. Alternative readings and disclosed agendas — public posturing, ideological shifts and reputation management
Other commentators emphasize reputational signaling and political reinvention: some Silicon Valley figures publicly shifted toward Republican causes in 2024 for deregulatory policy reasons or to align with rising power brokers, while others doubled down on Democratic spending to shape personnel decisions (e.g., public calls regarding FTC leadership) — outlets note both ideological realignment and deliberate public displays of support that can be as much about influence and access as about conviction [6] [3].
5. Why a definitive roster is elusive and what that implies for interpreting the record
The accounting of tech billionaires’ political activity is complicated by opaque donation channels, nonprofit vehicles, and late‑cycle super PAC gifts; reporting repeatedly stresses that FEC filings give only a partial picture and that donors can route money in ways that blur party alignment — therefore, while industry‑level patterns (bipartisan hedging, concentrated GOP megagifts by some, big Democratic gifts by others) are well documented, the sources do not support a clean, sourced list of individual tech billionaires who made large, disclosed contributions to both major parties during 2024–2026 [1] [2] [3].