Musk and Griffin Give $100K Each to Trump Shooting Fund

Billionaires Elon Musk and Ken Griffin have each contributed $100,000 to a GoFundMe campaign established to aid victims and families affected by a shooting at a Donald Trump rally on Saturday. The attack resulted in one death and multiple injuries, including those sustained by the former president. The GoFundMe page, launched two days ago by Meredith O’Rourke, the Trump campaign’s finance director, has already amassed $4.7 million, surpassing its initial $1 million target. Among the significant donors are Musk and Griffin, each contributing $100,000. Other notable contributors include casino mogul Steve Wynn ($50,000), Florida Governor Rick Scott and his wife Ann ($50,000), the Heritage Foundation ($50,000), UFC President Dana White ($50,000), musician Kid Rock ($50,000), former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy ($30,000), Ben Shapiro ($15,000), and The Daily Wire, which Shapiro founded ($15,000).

The fundraising page asserts that it has been authorized by Trump and will provide support for those impacted by the “brutal and horrific assassination attempt” at the rally. Griffin condemned the attack as a “tragic and disturbing day in America” and criticized political violence, emphasizing the importance of resolving political differences through voting. Griffin, who heads the Miami-based hedge fund Citadel, has a history of supporting conservative causes and candidates, including Trump’s 2024 primary rival, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. However, he has not yet donated to Trump’s 2024 campaign. Griffin stated in May that he would wait to see Trump’s choice for vice presidential running mate before making a donation. Trump recently announced Senator J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, as his running mate.

Griffin’s philanthropic efforts through his initiative, Griffin Catalyst, which he established last year, have not been addressed in response to recent comments. As of Monday, Griffin’s net worth is estimated at $38 billion, making him the 40th richest person in the world. Besides his hedge fund, he founded Citadel Securities in 2002, a major market-making firm responsible for one-fifth of U.S. stock trades. Griffin has donated over $2 billion to various causes, and Harvard University’s graduate school of arts and sciences is named in his honor.

The shooting occurred during Trump’s speech at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Video footage shows Trump ducking behind a podium before being escorted off stage by Secret Service agents, who then assist him as he pumps his fist in the air with visible blood on his face. Trump’s injuries were minor, but one supporter was fatally shot and two others were seriously injured. The suspected shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was killed by Secret Service agents. The motive behind the attack remains unknown. In response to the shooting, several prominent figures have expressed their support for Trump or called for reduced campaign rhetoric and a condemnation of political violence. Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and Tesla founder, tweeted his full endorsement of Trump and wished for his swift recovery. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos praised Trump’s display of “grace and courage under literal fire,” while others including Mark Cuban, Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, and Marc Benioff have also condemned the violence.