American billionaire and longtime supporter of Donald Trump, Timothy Mellon, has been identified as the anonymous donor who contributed $130 million to the U.S. government to help pay active-duty military personnel during the ongoing government shutdown, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to The New York Times.
President Donald Trump announced the donation on Thursday evening without disclosing the donor’s identity, calling him only a “patriot” and a “friend.” The following day, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump again declined to reveal the name, describing the donor as “a great American citizen” and “a substantial man.” The president added that the individual “doesn’t seek publicity,” noting that such modesty is unusual in political circles.
The White House declined to comment, and several attempts to reach Mr. Mellon or his representatives were unsuccessful. The Pentagon confirmed that the contribution was accepted under the “general gift acceptance authority.” According to chief spokesman Sean Parnell, the donation was made on the condition that it be used to offset the cost of service members’ salaries and benefits.
However, legal experts have noted that the move may violate the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits federal agencies from spending money beyond congressional appropriations or accepting voluntary services.
Amid the shutdown, which has now stretched for more than three weeks, the Trump administration has adopted several unorthodox financial measures to ensure that key federal employees continue to receive pay. The president pledged to compensate military members, immigration officers, and law enforcement officials despite the lack of congressional approval for their wages. Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order directing the Pentagon to reallocate unused research and development funds to cover troops’ salaries — a temporary measure, according to congressional leaders.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the 2025 budget proposal included about $600 billion for total military compensation, meaning Mellon’s $130 million contribution equates to roughly $100 per service member.
Timothy Mellon, heir to the Mellon banking fortune and a railroad magnate, has been one of Trump’s most significant financial backers. In the previous election cycle, he donated $50 million to a pro-Trump super PAC — one of the largest single political donations ever recorded in U.S. history.
A grandson of former Treasury Secretary Andrew W. Mellon, he emerged as a prominent Republican donor only after Trump’s election. In recent years, he has poured hundreds of millions into supporting both Trump and the Republican Party. Mellon has also been a major contributor to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign and his organization Children’s Health Defense, known for its anti-vaccine stance.
Despite his substantial political influence, Mellon maintains a reclusive lifestyle in Wyoming. In his self-published 2015 autobiography, he described himself as a former liberal who relocated from Connecticut to Wyoming seeking lower taxes and more personal freedom. The book includes controversial statements on race, criticizing social welfare programs introduced in the 1960s and 1970s.
In 2024, Mellon published another book about revitalizing Pan Am Systems, a conglomerate of rail, aviation, and marketing companies. The book was released by Skyhorse Publishing, the same publisher behind Melania Trump’s recent memoir. Skyhorse’s president, Tony Lyons, co-founded the super PAC American Values 2024, which supported Kennedy’s presidential bid.
Earlier we wrote that U.S. Government Shutdown Hits 22 Days: Senate Democrats Block Twelfth Republican Effort.
