Trump-Backing Billionaire Paying Soldiers During Shutdown Identified

A reclusive billionaire who donated $50 million to Donald Trump’s campaign last year has given $130 million to pay American troops during the government shutdown.

Timothy Mellon, grandson of former Treasury Secretary Andrew W. Mellon, provided the funds anonymously, according to two people familiar with the matter, The New York Times reported. President Trump announced the donation Thursday night but refused to name the donor, calling him only a “patriot” and a friend.

“He doesn’t want publicity,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling to Malaysia on Friday. “He prefers that his name not be mentioned, which is pretty unusual in the world I come from, and in the world of politics, you want your name mentioned.”

The Wyoming-based railroad magnate and banking heir has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into supporting Trump and the Republican Party in recent years, according to NYT. Before Trump won the presidency, Mellon rarely contributed to Republican candidates. (RELATED: Pentagon Accepts Mystery $130 Million Donation As Democrats Prolong Shutdown)

🚨 BREAKING: President Trump reveals an anonymous billionaire has just sent in a check for $130 MILLION to keep paying our troops

Trump says the person doesn’t want to be named or recognized

What a PATRIOT! 🇺🇸

Who is it? @elonmusk? Maybe @rookisaacman? pic.twitter.com/0ZdEaFED3m

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) October 23, 2025

Mellon also supports Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and donated millions to Kennedy’s presidential campaign and his anti-vaccine group, Children’s Health Defense.

The Pentagon accepted the donation under its “general gift acceptance authority,” according to spokesman Sean Parnell. “The donation was made on the condition that it be used to offset the cost of service members’ salaries and benefits,” Parnell said in a statement.

Legal questions remain about whether the government can use the funds. The Antideficiency Act prohibits federal agencies from spending money beyond congressional appropriations or accepting voluntary services.

The $130 million donation would provide about $100 for each of the 1.3 million active-duty service members. The Congressional Budget Office reports that the Trump administration requested about $600 billion in total military compensation for 2025.