Conservative billionaire Timothy Mellon gives $50 million to pro-Trump super PAC

Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during his campaign event, in Racine, Wisconsin, U.S. June 18, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/ File Photo

By Jason Lange

(Reuters) - Conservative billionaire Timothy Mellon, an heir of the Pittsburgh-based Mellon banking family, gave $50 million last month to a super PAC supporting Republican Donald Trump's presidential bid, according to a federal disclosure filed on Thursday.

The super PAC, known as MAGA Inc, has been ramping up outlays on television ads supporting Trump's challenge to Democratic President Joe Biden in the November presidential election. The torrent of spending has helped pro-Trump allies outspend Biden's allies in recent weeks.

MAGA Inc disclosed in a filing to the Federal Election Commission that it took in more than $68 million from donors last month, with most of the money coming from Mellon and another $10 million from billionaires Liz and Dick Uihlein, who founded the Uline shipping and packaging company from their basement in 1980.

Mellon, who lives in Wyoming and is rarely photographed, is an amateur pilot who has invested in and led transport-related companies. Forbes estimates that the Mellon family is worth some $14.1 billion.

Mellon has also been the biggest donor supporting independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., giving the pro-Kennedy super PAC American Values at least $20 million.

On Thursday, however, the pro-Kennedy super PAC reported in a separate disclosure that it took in only around $280,000 last month, with none of it coming from Mellon.

(Reporting by Jason Lange in Tequisquiapan, Mexico; editing by Diane Craft)