This post has been edited to reflect an updated total for Sheldon Adelson.
You haven’t heard of him because he doesn’t actually exist. But if you threw the 16 people who have given more than $2 million conservative super PACs this cycle into a genetic recombinator that would average them according to the amount each gave, you’d end up with a plutocrat straight out of central casting. He would be over 75 years old. He would be a white man. If you pooled his progenitors’ wealth rather than average it, he would be worth something like $51 billion. That fortune comes primarily from the casino and finance industries (but also draws on coal company holdings, real estate empires, entertainment promotion, and even a skin cream sales multi-level marketing scheme). If he were a country, he’d be about the 71st largest economy in the world, well ahead of places like Uruguay, Kenya, and Lithuania.
He’s fond of saying that President Obama will “eliminate free enterprise” in favor of a “socialist-style economy.” But despite that avowed free-market ideology, he’s used his wealth to tilt the playing field in his favor on everything from nuclear waste deals to custom-built regulatory shams in Texas, to complex business dealings in Macau. And his attitude toward his own workforce is far less generous than his philanthropic giving might suggest: His companies brag of being “entirely union-free” (though they’re quieter about their thousands of safety violations), one group of employees resorted to a hunger strike for pay equity with their English-speaking colleagues, and his primary revenue stream – the casino empire – is under investigation by the feds and mired in a nasty legal battle with his former business partner.
Here’s a rundown of the 16 real men who’ve combined to give over $150 million – just that we know about, and not counting reported donations to anonymously funded groups – to conservative super PACs during this cycle:
Sheldon Adelson
Age: 79
Net Worth: $20,500,000,000
Publicly Reported Super PAC Spending For 2012: $53,690,000
Background: Self-made casino mogul billionaire convinced that Barack Obama is a socialist who is insufficiently supportive of Israel on the international stage. Business dealings in Chinese Macau currently under federal investigation. Made more money in the Obama era than any other American, but sees an Obama “quest to socialize this country” through “redistribution of wealth” and “government controlling people’s lives.” [Read our full Conservative Transparency profile]
Recipients: Restore Our Future, Winning Our Future, Ending Spending, YG Action Fund, Congressional Leadership Fund, Texas Conservatives Fund, Independence Virginia, FreedomPAC, Treasure Coast Jobs Coalition, Patriot Prosperity, Conservative Renewal PAC, Hispanic Leadership Action Fund
Harold Simmons
Age: 81
Net Worth: $7,100,000,000
Publicly Reported Super PAC Spending For 2012: $26,860,000
Background: Started with a single Texas drug store in 1960, now runs multi-billion-dollar diversified business empire through his holding company Contran Corp. Known to fellow corporate raiders as “Ice Man,” apparently. Major donor to Texas Republicans who advanced Simmons’ plans to dispose of nuclear waste in the state. Says things like “Obama is the most dangerous American alive…because he would eliminate free enterprise in this country.” Original Swift Boat donor and American Crossroads donor. Counts Karl Rove a personal adviser. [Read our full Conservative Transparency profile]
Recipients: American Crossroads, Restore Our Future, Make Us Great Again, Conservative Renewal PAC, CATPAC
Bob Perry
Age: 79
Net Worth: $600,000,000
Publicly Reported Super PAC Spending For 2012: $21,465,000
Background: Runs largest homebuilding firm in Texas. Long-time GOP money man, including Swift Boat donations and major gifts to Texas Gov. Rick Perry (no relation), who helped create a building commission that did more to protect companies like Perry Homes from lawsuits than to help home buyers get satisfaction for shoddy work. [Read our full Conservative Transparency profile]
Recipients: American Crossroads, Independence Virginia, Congressional Leadership Fund, Club for Growth Action, FreedomPAC, Maverick PAC
J. Joe Ricketts
Age: 71
Net Worth: Less than $1 billion (exact worth unknown)
Publicly Reported Super PAC Spending For 2012: $12,850,000
Background: Co-owns the Chicago Cubs. Founded TD Ameritrade precursor. Primary funder of the Ending Spending Action Fund. After a proposal for race-baiting TV ads dredging up Rev. Jeremiah Wright was leaked to the press, Ricketts denied he had anything to do with it (though the subtitle, “The Ricketts Plan,” suggests the firm that wrote the plan intended it for his desk). [Read our full Conservative Transparency profile]
Recipients: Ending Spending, Restore Our Future, Campaign for Primary Accountability
Robert Rowling
Age: 58
Net Worth: $4,900,000,000
Publicly Reported Super PAC Spending For 2012: $5,135,000
Background: Turned father’s oil fortune into much larger fortune. Investor who owns Gold’s Gym, Omni Hotels, and substantial shares of major energy companies. Beyond his generous political giving, he runs a charity dedicated to helping advance Christianity around the world through donations to various pro-life and family-values causes. [Read our full Conservative Transparency profile]
Recipients: American Crossroads, Restore Our Future, Texas Conservatives Fund
Jerry Perenchio
Age: 81
Net Worth: $2,400,000,000
Publicly Reported Super PAC Spending For 2012: $4,650,000
Background: Former Univision owner (who stonewalled Spanish-language staff’s request to be paid as much as English-language staff, until they went on a hunger strike), sports promoter (from boxing to Billie Jean King), and talent agent (to Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, among others). Perenchio’s motives are a bit of a mystery, though he once told a reporter “I really don’t want my name in the goddamn paper.” [Read our full Conservative Transparency profile]
Recipients: Restore Our Future, American Crossroads, Our Destiny, Stop Special Interest Money Now, No New Taxes Committee, Californians for a Fresh Start
Robert Mercer
Age: 65
Net Worth: Less than $1 billion (exact worth unknown); Paid $125M in 2011
Publicly Reported Super PAC Spending For 2012: $4,104,354
Background: Once a leading researcher with IBM, specializing in language recognition and artificial intelligence, Mercer was lured into the high finance world by a man he met while working on code-breaking projects for the Pentagon. Became co-CEO of Renaissance Technologies, a “quant” hedge fund reliant on computer algorithms, in 2010. Was the money behind “Ground Zero mosque” ads and 2010 super PAC ads against a House Democrat who supports higher hedge fund taxes. NRA member and litigious model train enthusiast. [Read our full Conservative Transparency profile]
Recipients: American Crossroads, Restore Our Future, Club for Growth Action, Prosperity First Inc., Republican Super PAC Inc., FreedomPAC, National Horizon, Coalition for American Values
Bill Koch
Age: 72
Net Worth: $4,000,000,000
Publicly Reported Super PAC Spending For 2012: $4,000,000
Background: One of the less famous Koch brothers, expelled from the family business in 1983, owner of Oxbow mining empire. Paid $2.3 million at auction for only known authentic photograph of Billy the Kid. Recently accused of kidnapping and interrogating an employee at the fake wild west town he had built outside of Aspen, CO. “He has a personal relationship with Mitt,” but not a broader love for the GOP, according to a spokesman. [Read our full Conservative Transparency profile]
Recipients: Restore Our Future
John W. Childs
Age: 70
Net Worth: Less than $1 billion (was $1.2 billion in 2006)
Publicly Reported Super PAC Spending For 2012: $3,375,000
Background: Financier, specializing in leveraged buyouts. Successful takeover and resale of Snapple in 1990s helped him launch his own private equity shop. Investments include NutraSweet and Sunny D. Fined for illegal $25,000 contribution for pro-Romney radio ad in 2002. Longtime GOP donor. [Read our full Conservative Transparency profile]
Recipients: Club for Growth Action, American Crossroads, Restore Our Future, Congressional Leadership Fund
Joe Craft
Age: 61
Net Worth: $1,400,000,000
Publicly Reported Super PAC Spending For 2012: $3,100,000
Background: Worked his way up the ladder at a coal company that he now owns (Alliance Resource Partners). One of his mines was cited for 840 safety violations in the 15 months prior to a fatal 2010 incident. University of Kentucky basketball practice gym bears his name. Kentucky finance co-chair for Romney-Ryan campaign. Backed Sharron Angle and Sen. Jim Inhofe in the past. [Read our full Conservative Transparency profile]
Recipients: American Crossroads, Restore Our Future
Steven J. Lund
Age: 58
Net Worth: Less than $1B
Publicly Reported Super PAC Spending For 2012: $3,000,000
Background: Multi-level marketing mogul in charge of Nu-Skin, and attempted to “further mainstream our brands” with a licensing deal with the Salt Lake City Olympics. Active in Church of Latter Day Saints officialdom. Hid his first $2 million in pro-Romney super PAC money as donations from shell corporations (“Eli Publishing” and “F8 LLC”) before reporters tracked them down. Reportedly a personal friend of Mitt Romney.
Recipients: Restore Our Future
Harlan Crow
Age: 62
Net Worth: “Hundreds of Millions”
Publicly Reported Super PAC Spending For 2012: $2,665,000
Background: Leads family real estate firm Crow Holdings, after taking over with the firm in crisis in 1988 and shoring up its future through tough renegotiation of its debts. Eclectic art collector with a garden full of busts of defeated dictators. Close personal relationship with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has brought scrutiny. One of the first defectors from Rick Perry to Mitt Romney. Serves on American Enterprise Institute board.
Recipients: Restore Our Future, American Crossroads, Freedomworks, Texas Conservatives Fund, Campaign for Primary Accountability, FreedomPAC, American Unity, JanPAC
Kenneth Griffin
Age: 43
Net Worth: $3,100,000,000
Publicly Reported Super PAC Spending For 2012: $2,580,000
Background: Hedge fund boss whose ambitions to build high-frequency trading firm Citadel into the next Goldman Sachs crumbled with the financial collapse. Got married at the Potemkin village that Louis XVI built for Marie Antoinette to go pretend to be poor, and the reception featured Cirque du Soleil and Donna Summer. Convinced that the wealthy “have an insufficient influence” on our politics, and that President Obama is turning America into the Soviet Union. [Read our full profile]
Recipients: Restore Our Future, Ameriacn Crossroads, Campaign for Primary Accountability
Foster Friess
Age: 72
Net Worth: $530,000,000
Publicly Reported Super PAC Spending For 2012: $2,485,000
Background: Major conservative Christian donor, funder of Islamophobia, and original funder the Daily Caller. Back in his day an aspirin between the knees kept the stork away. Biggest backer of Rick Santorum’s campaign. Runs site that (1) describes him as “The Man Atop The Horse,” and (2) publishes blog posts by him like “Income Inequality Is Good For Everyone,” alongside pieces like “Is The President Losing The Hip-Hop Vote?” by T.J. Haley. (Did we mention he helped launch the Daily Caller?) [Read our full profile]
Recipients: Red, White, And Blue Fund, Restore Our Future, Freedomworks, Leaders for Families Super PAC, FreedomPAC, USA Super PAC, Fund for Freedom, Inc., Friends of the Majority, Club for Growth Action, Independence Virginia
Paul Singer
Age: 68
Net Worth: $1,100,000,000
Publicly Reported Super PAC Spending For 2012: $2,258,210
Background: Founder of Elliott Management, $19 billion “sovereign vulture” hedge fund specializing in buying up the debts of countries like Argentina and suing to force payment. Convinced crippling inflation is coming, even as other inflation hawks have said they were wrong. Hardline conservative, save for gay rights issues, where he has laid out $8.6 million to support equality since 2001. Believes the wealthy are unfairly “vilified,” and that inflation is a “moral failing.”
Recipients: American Crossroads, Restore Our Future, Club for Growth Action
Julian Robertson
Age: 80
Net Worth: $2,600,000,000
Publicly Reported Super PAC Spending For 2012: $2,250,000
Background: Founded Tiger Management hedge fund, where many of today’s hedge funders worked before starting their own firms. Perpetually described with some form of the word “legend” in the financial press. Obama is “doing an awful job” but “he’s so cocky maybe doesn’t see it.”
Recipients: Restore Our Future