People in these 19 industries donated the most money to Donald Trump
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People in these 19 industries donated the most money to Donald Trump
As the Trump campaign actively courts deep-pocketed donors, it’s worth looking at which groups and industries have donated most heavily to him during the current election cycle.
Stacker examined Federal Election Commission data compiled by OpenSecrets to find the 19 industries that contributed the most to Trump’s 2024 campaign committee, as well as any super PACs or hybrid PACs working on his behalf, as of Feb. 2. The list is ranked based on the portion of that industry’s presidential donations that went to Trump.
Former President Donald Trump announced shortly after the midterm elections in November 2022 that he would seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. But this time, he faces new obstacles—among them investigations into his finances and his attempts to remain in office despite losing the presidency.
The GOP’s poor outcome in the midterms presented another hurdle, with the supposed “red wave” never materializing, leading some political pundits to point the finger at Trump’s possibly waning influence with conservatives. However, despite not appearing on the ballot in some states, Trump still leads in the primaries.
Perhaps more troubling for Trump’s campaign than the erosion of influence is the loss of wealthy donors, many of whom are turning elsewhere. Conservative billionaire Charles Koch officially endorsed Nikki Haley in November, while hedge funder and megadonor Kenneth Griffin gave her PAC $5 million. In January, Stephen A. Schwarzman, chairman and CEO of private equity firm Blackstone, told Bloomberg News he’s waiting for election “surprises.”
There are some surprises on the forthcoming list of Trump’s biggest donors: The group that made the most in contributions by far—and has increasingly become a significant force across the political landscape—would seem to be the least likely (and most frugal). Others may seem obvious, as it’s no secret that Trump’s energy-friendly policies have made him popular with people in the oil and gas industry. He also continues to do well within an industry he knows well: real estate.
Read on to find out which other groups were among Trump’s biggest backers.
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#19. Air transport
– Total donated to Trump in 2024 cycle: $496,670
— 2.4% of all donations to presidential candidates from that industry
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#18. Business services
– Total donated in 2024 cycle: $525,542
— 6.6% of all donations from that industry
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#17. Education
– Total donated in 2024 cycle: $536,588
— 10.8% of all donations from that industry
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#16. Lawyers / law firms
– Total donated in 2024 cycle: $1,556,164
— 11.2% of all donations from that industry
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#15. Insurance
– Total donated in 2024 cycle: $521,715
— 14.2% of all donations from that industry
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#14. Health professionals
– Total donated in 2024 cycle: $1,604,498
— 15.6% of all donations from that industry
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#13. Real estate
– Total donated in 2024 cycle: $5,787,218
— 18.6% of all donations from that industry
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#12. Miscellaneous manufacturing & distributing
– Total donated in 2024 cycle: $2,266,694
— 22.3% of all donations from that industry
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#11. Civil servants/public officials
– Total donated in 2024 cycle: $688,939
— 22.3% of all donations from that industry
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#10. Automotive
– Total donated in 2024 cycle: $575,715
— 23.8% of all donations from that industry
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#9. Securities & investment
– Total donated in 2024 cycle: $31,071,336
— 26.5% of all donations from that industry
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#8. General contractors
– Total donated in 2024 cycle: $762,502
— 28.4% of all donations from that industry
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#7. Recreation / live entertainment
– Total donated in 2024 cycle: $1,045,287
— 29.6% of all donations from that industry
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#6. Retired
– Total donated in 2024 cycle: $43,812,972
— 34.2% of all donations from that industry
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#5. Crop production & basic processing
– Total donated in 2024 cycle: $712,615
— 38.8% of all donations from that industry
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#4. Special trade contractors
– Total donated in 2024 cycle: $665,970
— 44.2% of all donations from that industry
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#3. Miscellaneous services
– Total donated in 2024 cycle: $925,270
— 45.3% of all donations from that industry
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#2. Oil & gas
– Total donated in 2024 cycle: $6,838,341
— 62.8% of all donations from that industry
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#1. Finance / credit companies
– Total donated in 2024 cycle: $944,063
— 63.5% of all donations from that industry
Data reporting and additional writing by Elena Cox. Story editing by Ashleigh Graf. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. Photo selection by Ania Antecka.
