Trump’s mystery $130 million donor unmasked: Meet the man behind the money, reclusive heir Timothy Mellon

The Trump administration has accepted a $130 million donation from an anonymous source to pay US service members during the ongoing government shutdown, President Donald Trump announced Thursday. While Trump said the donation came from "a friend" who "doesn’t really want the recognition," the announcement soon became the subject of intrigue, with speculation about the anonymous donor. Now, The New York Times has revealed the secretive, generous donor who gave the Trump administration $130 million. Here's all you need to know about the donor.

Who donated the $130 million? All you need to know about the secretive donor

The generous donor has been identified as Timothy Mellon, a reclusive heir to one of America’s wealthiest banking dynasties. Mellon, 83, is the grandson of Gilded Age tycoon Andrew W. Mellon, who served as Treasury Secretary from 1921 to 1932. The Mellon family fortune traces back to Mellon Bank, founded in the 19th century by Thomas Mellon.

Mellon has been a major political donor, giving tens of millions to pro-Trump groups during the 2024 campaign — including a $50 million contribution to a pro-Trump PAC, one of the largest individual political donations of the cycle. He also supported Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign before Kennedy dropped out of the race.

Trump earlier praised Mellon, who at the time was an anonymous donor, as "a great American citizen," saying his donation helped ensure troops received their salaries amid the shutdown. "He's a great patriot," Trump said Friday. "He's obviously a very substantial man, and he contributed $130 million toward the military in order to make up any difference. So he wanted to see the military get paid."

Secretary of War accepts $130 million “gift”

Pentagon officials confirmed the donation to The Daily Beast, saying it was accepted under the Defense Department’s "general gift acceptance authority." Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the funds were earmarked "offset the cost of Service members’ salaries and benefits".

Democrats, however, sharply criticised the move. Senator Chris Coons, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations panel, said, "Using anonymous donations to fund our military raises troubling questions of whether our own troops are at risk of literally being bought and paid for by foreign powers".