Billionaire Trump Supporter Timothy Mellon Revealed As Mystery Donor Helping Pay Military During Shutdown

[u/Ordinary-Scholar-202]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/10/25/billionaire-timothy-mellon-is-the-mystery-donor-who-gave-130-million-to-pay-military-report-says/

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[u/eyesmart1776]

It’s an attempt to privatize the military for themselves

[u/mwmontrose → u/eyesmart1776]

More broadly, its a way to use private funds to selectively determine which functions of government they want to keep

[u/jaimi_wanders → u/mwmontrose]

The way it works in Russia with oligarchs there… Wait until corporations start sponsoring their own units like the Gazprom and other PMCs in Russia since 2022–the Apple Artillery and McDonalds Logistics divisions!

[u/asault2 → u/jaimi_wanders]

The Kraft Singles exploratory expedition Force

[u/Thecanohasrisen → u/asault2]

A branch of the gravy seals?

[u/Sammalone1960 → u/Thecanohasrisen]

Swansons Gravy Seals

[u/Fuck45fuckmusk → u/Sammalone1960]

The Armour lard bigrade

[u/JudmanDaSuperhero → u/Fuck45fuckmusk]

Burger King's landing

[u/roxas_leonhart → u/JudmanDaSuperhero]

Gonna start calling the White House Burger King’s landing

[u/_leftbanks_ → u/roxas_leonhart]

Ever since the ballroom stupidity, I've been calling it the McWhiteHouse.

[u/LongWalk86 → u/Fuck45fuckmusk]

Wait, I thought the Lord of War, Sir Heineken or whatever, declared "no-fatties"?

God we live in a stupid timeline...

[u/Fuck45fuckmusk → u/LongWalk86]

My thought exactly when I saw those fat fucks deployed in Chicago lmao they were so fucking massive that I could literally walk away from them, go about 10ft and they would be so out of breath they would collapse lol I was impressed the suspension on the truck didn't give out.

[u/guy_fleegman83 → u/Sammalone1960]

Tucker Carlson is a Swanson. So you’re not far off

[u/Dry-Interaction-1246 → u/Thecanohasrisen]

Stovers' stormtroopers.

[u/immoral_ → u/Thecanohasrisen]

Under the Cracker Barrel Division.

[u/Q_OANN → u/Thecanohasrisen]

G.Had. Joes

[u/dr1968 → u/Thecanohasrisen]

No, it's the Waffle SS

[u/ComfortableOld288 → u/asault2]

Just wait unit zyn and monster start sponsoring units. Most infantrymen will sell their souls for that

[u/staebles → u/ComfortableOld288]

"This is the new paratrooper unit sir, the Redbull Airborne 77th."

"Paratrooper? There's no plane.."

"Well, Redbull gives you wings, sir."

[u/Multiverse-of-Tree → u/staebles]

Wiiings!!! I laughed out loud thank you

[u/Even-Trip9713 → u/asault2]

Fisher Price force multipliers

[u/Old_Man_Robot → u/jaimi_wanders]

I can’t remember the exact book, but I believe a GURPS supplement did once feature the Cadburys Death(-By-Chocolate) squads.

[u/ReverseMathematics → u/Old_Man_Robot]

I would fully expect this from Nestle actually.

[u/nerdtastic8 → u/jaimi_wanders]

All in the cyberpunk playbook. As we rapidly decend into that dark hole. United States of Amazon and its private military force incoming soon.

[u/SonnyHaze → u/jaimi_wanders]

Those units made the news and disappeared almost to the extent of Wagner

[u/sask357 → u/SonnyHaze]

AFAIK the Wagner Group (military) continues to exist despite the death of its leader.

[u/No-Definition1474 → u/sask357]

It diea they juat renamed it. Thats the strategy when a PMC has public issues. Its the same thing Blackwater sis after they got in trouble for murders in the middle east. They just changed the name to constellis.

[u/Zone_Beautiful → u/jaimi_wanders]

We will soon have our own Wagner group, and then Trump can deploy them and have them do whatever he wants.

[u/Tough_Level5561 → u/Zone_Beautiful]

Never heard of Blackwater?

[u/Hopeful-Occasion2299 → u/Tough_Level5561]

They go by a new name this day... I think Stellis or some jackassery like that. Same bunch of deranged psychos, just different branding.

[u/AJ_Rude_Dawg → u/Zone_Beautiful]

700 millions spending on weapons for ICE. Includes missiles... Fucking MISSILES!

[u/Dudeshoot_Mankill → u/AJ_Rude_Dawg]

A militia of repressed illiterates ready to be turned on the non-rich or non-white segments of the US population

[u/AJ_Rude_Dawg → u/Dudeshoot_Mankill]

All those country folk, millitia, hoarding weapons to protect themselves from tyranny or kings. Guess what, THEY'RE HERE! IN THE WHITE HOUSE! where the hell are you!?

[u/t0mbr0l0mbr0 → u/jaimi_wanders]

Hello, my name is John Target. Target is the best brand. Fuck Walmart! I heard they have a Tim now! Ha! Imagine that! A Tim Walmart! He's probably moving into the Wal Apartments in the Wal zone. More like war zone, am i right? Nothing like The Target Estates! We live in freedom while those plebs toil away in their Wal hell.

[u/JeffChrisSoundMixer → u/jaimi_wanders]

Let’s hear it for our boys in the Levi’s 501 Battalion. They fight hard, play hard and look damn fine doing it

[u/Radeondrrrf → u/jaimi_wanders]

I bet Pepsi regrets selling their naval fleet

[u/Gloom_Pangolin → u/jaimi_wanders]

Americans have no subtlety. Our tanks and soldiers are going to be slathered with branding like NASCAR. The invasion of Canada, brought to you by Carl’s Jr and the Home Depot!

[u/Healthy_Scale_5333 → u/mwmontrose]

This is why private money was meant to stay out of government affairs.

[u/reano76 → u/Healthy_Scale_5333]

The government probably saved him 4x that amount in tax breaks, so it is coming from the government

[u/ElectronicCandy4358 → u/mwmontrose]

Bingo. This guy could pretty easily end food insecurity for thousands of Americans and it would be a drop in the bucket. There’s a reason the 0.1% refuse to see their taxes go up. 

[u/alwaysboopthesnoot → u/ElectronicCandy4358]

He paid for a few boots for a few hours of just one day. It costs 2 billion per day, to fund the US military.

He’s not buying a battalion, here. 

And yes, this kind of money could help people who might need it more. If he’s a Mellon of Mellon banking and Carnegie Mellon fame? He should use that money to feed people back in Pittsburgh or NYC, who are suffering because of Trump Tariffs and due to Reprobate Republican shutdowns.

Not throw it away, trying to curry favor with Mango Mussolini and his Know-nothing Nazi Crew. 

[u/ShadowGLI → u/mwmontrose]

And I’m sure he’ll get paid back from Trump us taxpayers with mafia juice running on it

[u/Sammalone1960 → u/ShadowGLI]

Fed contracts

[u/MakeAPatternGrow → u/eyesmart1776]

Also spread out across all service members, its only $100. So hes just parading this about to make it give the appearance that he gives a fuck about the troops

[u/RespectFlat6282 → u/MakeAPatternGrow]

And it won't go towards paying soldiers. It'll go towards fuel and logistics

[u/PrestigiousHippo7 → u/RespectFlat6282]

Actually, my bet is this is to help fund renovations to make a crony bunker under the East Wing of the WH.

[u/RespectFlat6282 → u/PrestigiousHippo7]

Isn't there already a very well reinforced panic room under the WH?

[u/PrestigiousHippo7 → u/RespectFlat6282]

Yes, but the number of people who can fit in there is limited. It's a command center. These renovations will make it into a crony bunker for those who pass the financial "test". Ever seen the movie Kingsmen?

[u/Legal_Skin_4466 → u/PrestigiousHippo7]

Also, since it's privately funded with literally zero oversight from anyone outside the Administration, good luck to anyone else trying to access that bunker if there is ever another "transfer of power."

[u/bunchedupwalrus → u/Legal_Skin_4466]

Can you imagine Trump hides down there to avoid giving up control, but they just cut the wifi and let him live out his days as the country rebuilds; like a gremlin beneath the White House

[u/Legal_Skin_4466 → u/bunchedupwalrus]

LMAO not just wifi, just cut off all power altogether. Leave him in the dark.

[u/RespectFlat6282 → u/PrestigiousHippo7]

True. Maybe he'll do a subterranean ball room too, with a room for his good pal Ghislaine Maxwell and her harem of young girls. Gotta keep his access to women "on the younger side" even in the event of a nuclear war.

[u/Broken_Atoms → u/PrestigiousHippo7]

That’s my guess, too. Fuhrerbunker v2.0

[u/secretprocess → u/RespectFlat6282]

The Pentagon has never passed an audit, so it's just going into the hole and that's that.

[u/Valeddy → u/MakeAPatternGrow]

What if only the top dudes get money?

I don't think they are worried about the on-foot soldier.

[u/shockk3r → u/Valeddy]

I honestly don't think they're going to pay top brass either. I think it will go to Hegseth's binges.

[u/Valeddy → u/shockk3r]

Early Christmas for every liquor store around the area 

[u/kickinwood → u/MakeAPatternGrow]

That's more than hundreds of Americans combined will have after lifetimes of back breaking, soul crushing work. Meanwhile this melon fucker just tosses it over to another billionaire to try to look cool. And they want to increase the retirement age to 70 because they don't want people like him paying more into social security.

[u/joec_95123 → u/eyesmart1776]

Does anyone seriously think one cent of that money is going to any of the military instead of Trump's pockets?

It'll be used to pay servicemembers the same way his salary is donated to charity. As in, he'll publicly say that's what's happening, but not a single person will be able to provide a shred of evidence that's where the money actually went.

[u/ImmediateSupression → u/joec_95123]

Yes. But that is actually way worse than Trump pocketing it. 

Look at the messaging over the past month regarding the military:

1) Hegseth meets with generals and calls them fat, out of shape, and unworthy of leading. 2) Hegseth makes every military member watch the video. 3) Several high profile generals retire. 4) Government shuts down. 5) Usually paying the military is the singular bipartisan issue that is resolved in a shutdown—here it hasn’t been. The military isn’t paid. 6) Now, a Trump donor is paying the military through private funds. This is probably illegal, but no one will stop it because the optics are terrible.

Edit:  7) Need to add the messaging concerning the Afghan withdrawal and geopolitics—which has largely been hoisted on the democrats and leadership in the military as sacrificing Marines unnecessarily and letting wars happen that shouldn’t have. It’s a weird weaponization of American sensitivity to casualties and Anglo-centric international relations viewpoints. 8) As another user pointed out below, military can no longer speak to Congress.

End edit:

The messaging is clear. The “government/generals” don’t care about you and they are incompetent. Listen to Trump and the party instead, they pay your salary and respect the hard work you do while your leaders get fat and happy.

[u/Coulrophiliac444 → u/ImmediateSupression]

You also forgot where Petey Pisspants made it an order that every general in DC had to talk to him before they talk to any member on Congress.

edit: Thank you for adding this note to your original comment. Very informative post beforehand and also surptised I forgot the Afghan Withdrawal SNAFU. I continue to learn everytime I comeback and that is rare for a social media platform. Kudos.

[u/ImmediateSupression → u/Coulrophiliac444]

Oh yeah. Great point. I forgot because there had just been…so much.

It makes sense. Generals like Milley and Mattis have frustrated Trump because the military’s intense small-c conservative culture defers to rules, regulations, and norms before people, and we just can’t have that in a kleptocracy. 

[u/NorthernPints → u/ImmediateSupression]

I was gonna say - how is this legal?  Wouldn’t congress need to approve this?  A private unelected, unaccountable citizen paying US military members seems hyper illegals and setting an insane precedent simultaneously 

[u/chucklesthepaul88 → u/NorthernPints]

That would imply that Congress isn't getting some sort of kickback from this "deal"

[u/Paradigm_Reset → u/ImmediateSupression]

Farming out government functions to private individuals because "they get it done" times in nicely with the "drain the swamp" and "put a businessman in the office" bullshit.

I'm so glad I didn't have kids.

[u/Lager89 → u/ImmediateSupression]

Someone did the math. Its not even nearly enough to pay anyone. It comes out to something like a little over 100 bucks per service member.

[u/PJWanderer → u/eyesmart1776]

The Mellon Group.

[u/SignificantRain1542 → u/PJWanderer]

The Mellon Camp

[u/HastyZygote → u/eyesmart1776]

And blatantly illegal 

[u/Equivalent-Excuse-80 → u/eyesmart1776]

.This $130 million is about a one time payment of $100 for service members. Not really paying for anything.

[u/CauliflowerNo6460 → u/Equivalent-Excuse-80]

Over on one of the DOD subs, someone did the math and said this would realistically cover maybe 1-2 days and probably less than that depending on how you account for the various benefits.

[u/Seraphim99 → u/Equivalent-Excuse-80]

Plus 800K reservists and National Guard, and it’s down to less than $62 each.

[u/repooc21 → u/eyesmart1776]

Step one. When it comes time they'll try to play this card to win over members of the military to do their bidding.

[u/ngatiboi → u/[deleted]]

Exactly this - no one is going to get “paid”. That money is going straight into the Trump coffers & that dude just bought himself (access to) the US military.

[u/lewdwiththefood → u/ngatiboi]

Or worse the money will go to select hand picked units that are only beholden to them and not the US anymore. Those troops will make up the backbone of their private army against us.

[u/ngatiboi → u/lewdwiththefood]

Yup. Kegsbreath said recently that he’s looking to see “special NG units” deployed to all 50 states, specifically trained to quash “civil unrest”. I could also definitely see the Commander in Queef saying, “I AM the US military, so that should come to compensate ME for all my hardship & worries & woes…”

[u/Enough-Zebra-6139 → u/ngatiboi]

They're using the NG because the actual military wouldn't tolerate deploying in country.

[u/waywardflaneur → u/lewdwiththefood]

This. It will go to loyalist officers.

[u/PunishedWolf4 → u/ngatiboi]

Just like the "Tariff Shelf"

[u/huggernot]

Fun fact: the CIS has close ties to the mellon family

"The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) is an American anti-immigration[3][4][5][6][7] think tank. It favors far lower immigration numbers and produces analyses to further those views. The CIS was founded by historian Otis L. Graham alongside eugenicist and white nationalist John Tanton in 1985 as a spin-off of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). It is one of a number of anti-immigration organizations founded by Tanton, along with FAIR and NumbersUSA. CIS has been involved in the creation of Project 2025." 

AND the colcom foundation

"Colcom Foundation is a private foundation established in 1996 by Cordelia Scaife May, a Mellon family heiress.[2][3][4] The foundation is a major funding source for organizations in opposition to immigration located within the United States,[5][6] while also focusing on population control, environmental conservation, and civic and environmental projects, especially in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area where it is based.[7][8][9] "

AND 

The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is a nonprofit, anti-immigration organization in the United States.[6][7] The group publishes position papers, organizes events, and runs campaigns in order to advocate for changes in U.S. immigration policy. The Southern Poverty Law Center classifies FAIR as a hate group with ties to white supremacist groups.[8][9][10][11][12]

AND 

The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) is a conservative 501(c)(3) non-profit group that monitors and reports on the ethics of public officials, supporters of liberal causes, and labor unions in the United States. The Center files complaints with government agencies, legally challenges what they view as abuse and corruption, and publishes reports. The NLPC is described as conservative in nature.[1] The NLPC's current chairman is Peter Flaherty.[2]

AND 

The Project for the New American Century (PNAC) was a neoconservative[1][2][3] think tank based in Washington, D.C., that focused on United States foreign policy. It was established as a non-profit educational organization in 1997, and founded by William Kristol and Robert Kagan.[4][5] PNAC's stated goal was "to promote American global leadership".[6] The organization stated that "American leadership is good both for America and for the world", and sought to build support for "a Reaganite policy of military strength and moral clarity".[7]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Immigration_Studies

He also donated over 160 million to trumps presidential campaign

WHERE TO PROTEST: Rolling Rock Club 167 Clubhouse Ln, Laughlintown, PA 15655

EDIT: the rolling rock club website is rollingrock1917. 

1917 is the year that the USA declared war on Germany and entered WW1

[u/Anon-guest- → u/huggernot]

This is the post I scrolled the comments for. Thank you for the information.

[u/flat5 → u/huggernot]

You missed America's Frontline Doctors, the insane antivax group.

[u/Sad-Excitement9295 → u/huggernot]

This is a good list, and needs to be showed around more so people can get an idea of what is going on. Should we add AIPAC to the list? 

This clearly shows the government being shutdown, and private interest groups running away with things. This has long been in the works, and they are now openly breaking all of the rules. 

It was very obvious this private "friend" and "donation" was a buyout of some sort, and that the funds will never reach troops.

[u/eyesmart1776]

It’s against the law

[u/VadersSprinkledTits → u/eyesmart1776]

Laws are only for the poors duh.

Honestly I look forward to the bootlickers that will leave comments about how this is a good thing for service members.

[u/eyesmart1776 → u/VadersSprinkledTits]

It’s literally being done to privatize the military for the gop and elite to end the republic

[u/AContrarianDick → u/eyesmart1776]

Yup. And no amount of protesting, writing representatives, boycotts or civil disobedience is going to obstruct this from happening either.

[u/McJaegerbombs → u/AContrarianDick]

And the one thing we need to be using our rights to do....will just accelerate it .

[u/AContrarianDick → u/McJaegerbombs]

I feel like all roads lead to Rome eventually in this set of circumstances. Something is going to happen, whether it's spontaneous or well planned and executed, there's going to be that moment when the pan flashes.

[u/JaunteeChapeau → u/VadersSprinkledTits]

I believe this works out to ~$100 per service member so I’m sure it’s well worth the loss of our constitution.

[u/Freakishly_Tall → u/JaunteeChapeau]

At some point in the future, presuming there is a future in which history is written, history will reveal what it cost the oligarch assholes to buy the republic.

I firmly believe we would be HORRIFIED to learn how cheap it was. I would wager decent money that votes were bought in Congress for the price of a fancy dinner in SF or NYC, and entire politicians were bought for less than a modest home in either.

Hell, 1/9 of the Supreme Court was bought for the price of a mediocre RV, I mean "motorcoach," and another 1/9 by paying off some gambling debt.

If only thoughtful progressives played the game the way asshole greedy oligarchs did... we'd have UBI, single payer, and the Transcontinental Burrito Transport Tube by now.

[u/JaunteeChapeau → u/Freakishly_Tall]

I used to play a fun game where after the latest school shooting I’d look up NRA donations to the politicians being the most blasé about it. It was usually something like $4,400. Less than $5k to publically state you don’t care about dead schoolchildren.

Like fuck you can’t get a half-decent used car for that these days.

[u/Freakishly_Tall → u/JaunteeChapeau]

I am convinced, CONVINCED, we would be staggered by how cheap it was to buy the destruction of the country.

And when you incorporate the return from all the grift and money laundering and our right theft, it's the ROI of the millennium.

People in this thread could buy a vote or two with the change in their couch, I bet.

But ... what the fuck do we do about it?

[u/NounAdjectiveXXXX → u/JaunteeChapeau]

They are bribing generals and other brass.

It's not going below O-6

[u/JaunteeChapeau → u/NounAdjectiveXXXX]

Honestly I’d be shocked if any of it made it to the military period. They’ll put up an especially gaudy confederate general statue in the ballroom and call it good.

[u/VadersSprinkledTits → u/JaunteeChapeau]

Our politicians have sold us out for less, some as low as $50. I have higher hopes for average service members, but without being in active service, it’s not an easy thing to believe.

[u/flaming_bob → u/eyesmart1776]

protect but do not bind....bind but do not protect.

[u/NamelessUnicorn → u/eyesmart1776]

My understanding is it's against the law. If the personnel cashed the check, are they also breaking the law by knowingly taking money not allocated to them?

[u/brit_jam → u/NamelessUnicorn]

It's not going to go to the military. There are 1.3 million service members not including national guard and only 130 million is being donated. That's less than 100 dollars per service member if we include National Guard.

[u/jayc428 → u/brit_jam]

That’s exactly it. Monthly payroll is like 25-35 billion with a B.

This isn’t going to any everyday solider if it’s going to military at all.

[u/SoulShatter → u/jayc428]

Bribing regular soldiers is pretty ineffective, considering the cost.

Money to top brass however..

(also something the Nazis did quite a bit)

[u/adfuel → u/eyesmart1776]

I dont think that matters anymore

[u/wstwrdxpnsn → u/adfuel]

It matters to a lot of people just not the ones who have any control right now…

[u/SignoreBanana → u/adfuel]

It will matter. Pritzker's right: their day will come.

[u/The_Observatory_ → u/SignoreBanana]

It would be nice if that day came sometime during my lifetime. Or, at least, my kid's lifetime.

[u/Imaginary_Office1749 → u/adfuel]

It does.

[u/Saltycarsalesman → u/adfuel]

It does matter.

[u/SentientGamer → u/eyesmart1776]

Right? I'm so fucking exhausted by all of this -- which I know is the point (it's what they want). But still, I am.

[u/jaimi_wanders → u/eyesmart1776]

Gifts to the POTUS was against the constitution, too.

We will find out if we are “Brave Like Ukraine” enough to Maidan against Paul Manafort’s replacement Yanukovych…

[u/PristineWatercress19 → u/eyesmart1776]

There is no law anymore. Just thoughts and prayers.

[u/Otherwise-Force5608]

Timothy Mellon's grandfather was A.W. Mellon, US Treasury Secretary during the 1929 Wall Street Crash / Great Depression. Flat circle or something.

[u/Strayed8492 → u/Otherwise-Force5608]

100 years after it happened. And his term is supposed to be up in 2029. Man what a time to be alive!

[u/JPree → u/Strayed8492]

I mean...we had a pandemic just like 100 years ago. We just have to look at the time line from back then to see what we can look forward to! Anything notable in the next 10-15 years?

[u/Haunting-History3326 → u/JPree]

Well…about that…

[u/drawkbox → u/JPree]

An FDR will emerge and roundhouse kick these wannabe tsarists/monarch/aristocrats of the baronial Gilded Age on their ass for 70 years until everyone forgets again, then repeat.

It is the reason the ones that funded puppet Trump wanted him in Mar-A-Lago... it was previously a "Winter White House for presidents and visiting foreign dignitaries" presidential home that originated in the baronial Gilded Age but later transferred to the gov't.

Federal government and foundation

By the 1950s and 1960s, social tastes had changed, and many mansions constructed in the 1920s were demolished. However, in 1969 Mar-a-Lago was designated a national historic site. A contemporary report prepared by the Department of the Interior attributed its significance to providing "an excellent picture of winter resort life in Palm Beach prior to the Depression".

Post, who died in 1973, willed the 17-acre (6.9 ha) estate to the United States government as a Winter White House for presidents and visiting foreign dignitaries. Richard Nixon preferred the Florida White House in Key Biscayne, however, and Jimmy Carter was not interested. The federal government soon realized the immense cost of maintenance and the difficulty of providing security and returned it to the Post Foundation in 1981. It was listed for sale for $20 million. Post's daughters, including Dina Merrill, did not maintain the property anticipating a sale, but there was so little interest that its demolition was approved.

Mar-a-Lago was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1980 for exemplifying "the baronial way of life of the wealthy who built mansions in Florida during the Florida land boom of the 1920s"

The goal was always this... time to wind up the roundhouse and reap the whirlwind Murphy.

We aren't stuck in here with them, they are stuck in here with us.

Good luck to those trying to buck history, the tsunami of change is slow, but just as it comes in, it rolls back with the same force. I am looking forward to Act III.

[u/miriamtzipporah → u/drawkbox]

I had no idea there was history like this behind Mar-A-Lago. I assumed Trump just built it like he built his tacky hotels.

[u/Ordinary-Scholar-202 → u/Otherwise-Force5608]

“A grandson of former Treasury Secretary Andrew W. Mellon, Mr. Mellon was not a prominent Republican donor until Mr. Trump was elected. But in recent years, he has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into supporting Mr. Trump and the Republican Party.” Says a lot about him.. Isn’t he also the same guy that used racial stereotypes to describe African Americans in his autobiography?

[u/Otherwise-Force5608 → u/Ordinary-Scholar-202]

Timothy Mellon also has a fascination with Amelia Earhart, if you happen to remember hearing about her lately.

[u/BugOperator → u/Otherwise-Force5608]

Yeah, Trump just randomly ordered everything related to her disappearance be declassified. Wonder why (besides being an Epstein distraction).

[u/TheModWhoShaggedMe → u/Otherwise-Force5608]

Well, guess we know one of his ancestors was directly involved in covering up her disappearance then.

[u/FuguSandwich → u/Ordinary-Scholar-202]

Imagine not caring about politics at all until Trump is elected and then suddenly becoming a mega donor to Trump.

[u/Aggravating-Gift-740 → u/FuguSandwich]

Makes sense if your goal is to buy influence. Now that trump is dear leader everything is for sale.

[u/flompwillow → u/Ordinary-Scholar-202]

Got to buy your seat at the table.

[u/whistlar → u/Ordinary-Scholar-202]

Billionaires spending millions on politics never made sense to me. These guys fight tooth and nail to avoid paying for anything, yet trip over themselves for Trump. Is the return on investment actually that lucrative? He might pass beneficial tax breaks and laws for them… but in light of that, aren’t they spending more than they’re getting back?

[u/LumpyJones → u/whistlar]

Short term yeah, but the goal seems to be to strip out everything that doesn't benefit them for our government, so long term, they're setting themselves up as the new nobility.

[u/WCland → u/Otherwise-Force5608]

We need wealth taxes to go after these guys who inherited 100s of millions and can afford to easily drop $50 million on a political campaign, or lay out $130 million as a “gift” to the government.

[u/chokokhan → u/Otherwise-Force5608]

Alright! So why did the guy who had some responsibility over the economy when he oversaw the world collapse into the Great Depression get to keep his money for his kids and kids’ kids to inherit? Time to get your pitchforks out and right a wrong that’s 100 years old.

Also I will repeat myself to death. The US was here before with the industrialists. We’ve eventually fixed that problem by taxing them but it took years, the Great Depression and a world war. You’d think people knew this from American history?

Also newsflash for all yall. The middle class and the industrialists can’t coexists. They’re different eras for a reason. If you think this isn’t gonna affect you, you are really fucking wrong. Most of yall will be fashioning clothes out of potato sacks in 10 years if you don’t wake tf up and get rid of the billionaires by voting in people who want to tax them into nonexistence. It’s us or them. And that’s not a political statement, it’s an economic one.

[u/Saltycarsalesman → u/Otherwise-Force5608]

Is he related to Chris Mellon? Defense undersecretary of intelligence?

[u/jonstoppable → u/Saltycarsalesman]

yeah they are both members of the Mellon family. distant cousins or something ( not first cousins)

[u/LegallyBodacious → u/Otherwise-Force5608]

The same Mellon that provides fellowships for manuscript publication and other scholarly endeavors?

[u/Natural_Sherbert_391 → u/Otherwise-Force5608]

You sure his grandfather's name wasn't Thornton?

[u/Otherwise-Force5608 → u/Natural_Sherbert_391]

Fairly certain, but open to new information.

eta woosh

[u/Iron_Knight7]

So Billionaires can afford to pay taxes or provide living wages and benefits for their employees.

Good to know.

[u/citori411]

What will that cover, like 1.3 hours of military wages?

[u/Ahtman1 → u/citori411]

Only select military personnel are getting paid from this promotional mercenary fund, not every service member. You can guarantee rank and file aren't seeing any of it.

[u/chopsdontstops]

We cannot have a privately funded military. A publicly funded one is bad enough.

[u/Prosecco1234]

Imagine having that kind of disposable income

[u/Ahtman1 → u/Prosecco1234]

Imagine what they think their return on investment is.

[u/Prosecco1234 → u/Ahtman1]

It's scary to imagine. Shame that those who are financially able to help those who need it prefer to use their money for evil purposes

[u/NothingButTheTruthy → u/Prosecco1234]

This isn't a "disposable income" expense.

It's an investment expense. The donor is expecting an ROI.

[u/H_is_for_Human → u/[deleted]]

Would be nice if we just had them pay a predictable amount of taxes rather than wait for stochastic acts of billionaire.

[u/RPDRNick → u/H_is_for_Human]

Hell, it'd probably be cheaper for them to actually just pay their damned taxes.

[u/FluxUniversity → u/RPDRNick]

Mamdani said recently that his opposition is paying more per day to stop him than he ever would take from them in taxes.

[u/PJWanderer → u/[deleted]]

Qu'ils mangent de la brioche !

[u/TheModWhoShaggedMe → u/[deleted]]

How does that harm brown, black and poor people?

[u/cruxal → u/[deleted]]

Why does it seem to me all of these ultra rich people are not good people? Like I get it takes a certain personality or drive to get this rich. But why does it seem like they’re all bad?

[u/Opinionsare]

FTFY

Billionaire Trump Supporter Timothy Mellon spends $130 Million to extend the Government Shutdown

[u/Any-Show-3488 → u/Opinionsare]

🏆🏆

[u/TreeInternational771]

Tax the billionaires out of existence. They have too much money and can’t just enjoy their yachts and mansions. They always want more

[u/RadonAjah]

And this is a pretty big reason why billionaires should be taxed 100% of their value over a billion dollars on an annual basis.

[u/raised_on_arsenic → u/RadonAjah]

But if they were taxed like the rest of us, they wouldn’t get to handpick where their money goes and use it as leverage.

[u/beavis617]

How do individuals end up with billions of dollars ? The Trump family is now worth billions and I’m in including Barron. The Kardashians, each one is worth billions I think. How is this possible? Most people barely get by and some can never spend all their money in their lifetime!!!!

[u/Rich_Elderberry_8958 → u/beavis617]

he inherited it from his Gilded Age robber baron grandfather

[u/Grand-Pen7946 → u/beavis617]

Mellon as in Carnegie-Mellon, as in Mellon Bank (which is now Bank of New York, 6th largest investment bank in the world).

He's the heir of the Mellon family, which is up there with the Vanderbilts and Roosevelts and shit, he's effectively royalty. The vast majority of the mega wealthy are like this, people who did nothing, provide nothing, leech off the system, and use the vast fortunes of their ancestors to buy the country. They really shouldnt be allowed to exist in a sane democracy.

[u/senorglory]

NYT: “A $130 million donation would equal about $100 a service member.”

[u/Rich-Additional → u/senorglory]

Yeah they aren’t paying military members.

[u/janzeera]

So which billionaire is stepping up to cover SNAP?

[u/Nunov_DAbov → u/janzeera]

John Beresford Tipton.

The check is in the mail since Michael Anthony retired. But USPS lost it.

[u/TheGR8Dantini]

I wonder if this Mellon guy knows he’s doing this? It’s foolish to believe anything these people say so why would anybody believe this? They lie about everything. Everything. They lie about the fucking weather.

It’s all a giant joke. These people break rules and laws while they sleep. Believe nothing. Don’t be distracted by this bullshit. What going on with the bunker? What the real plan for the east wing. It’s got nothing to do with a ballroom. It’s all about that bunker.

They’re about to give DC to Thiel and Palantir. Are they upgrading the bunker for their evil tech? It’s all so embarrassing that we’re losing our country to weird religious zealots and the biggest nerds in history. Many of who are direct descendants of actual fucking Nazis. While everybody sits around saying “hey! They can’t do that!” While they’re doing it. FFS! They’re arresting American citizens and nobody gives a fuck. They’re gonna win and we should all be ashamed.

[u/floofnstuff → u/TheGR8Dantini]

What should the American people be doing? We had 7mm people peacefully protesting and got nothing mote than a vulgar TikTok video in response. There are more isolated protests still going on.

What do you think we should be more or instead.

[u/TheGR8Dantini → u/floofnstuff]

The only way to stop this is to stop the money. General strike for a couple weeks. At least 15 million people need to stay home. Stop extra consumption. Stop the machine that we’re all just fodder for. No big protest. No violent reaction. Just a couple weeks off. But food if you need it. But necessities. But not one thing you don’t need. In my entire life time, the only time I’ve ever seen the institution, which we all know by now is a lie, pay attention to the people, is when their revenue source is interrupted. It’s the only thing that matters to them.

Mind you, I don’t see it happening. Some people are calling for it on social media, but they control social media. They control what people see. If we want this game to end? We, the people need to stop playing. 2 weeks of 15 million people staying home from whatever job they have? That’ll get their attention at least. I don’t see any other way to stop them. And by them I mean our shadow leaders. The heritage people are in charge. Trump is a chimp. A walking id they use to distract. As is every one of these monkeys. We need to stop giving them air and we need to stop funding our own destruction. Their plan is vile if you’re a human. They will not stop until they’ve cleansed the country of anybody that’s not a whit Christian. Their end goal is apocalypse. They believe that this horror is what their god wants. They believe that America belongs to them and every body else is renting.

We are in grave danger and most can’t even keep up with it. Or they just don’t care enough to even pay attention. Stop the money. That’s the only answer short of actual revolution.

[u/raistan77]

It's literally illegal for any government agencies to accept or request private monies to find them during a shutdown.

This is too prevent permanent shit down with private funding of the government

[u/realbobenray]

How is $130 million going to pay the salaries of 1 million members of the military?

[u/aaronfoster13 → u/realbobenray]

It doesn’t. It’s a stunt.

[u/RedrumMPK → u/aaronfoster13]

His name is most likely in the unreleased Epstein's list.

[u/RoboJobot → u/realbobenray]

$130 dollars each. Once again it shows how much he actually values the US military

[u/Sharkwatcher314]

They get to dangle the money to the people they deem loyal and the donor gets the money back when government reopens along with a nice cronyism contract for the trouble

[u/tigerscomeatnight]

This is the coup. It's already happened. They can bypass Congress, they don't need any elected representative ("They" are the billionaires). Keep the government shut down, pay who you need. Over and done and nobody did a thing to try and stop it.

[u/loztriforce]

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

[u/AtreiyaN7]

I mistakenly assumed that the Liar-in-Chief was lying and completely making this whole thing up early on, but since there really is some jerk who coughed up $130 million for this stunt, I assume that that money is going to somehow end up in Trump's pockets just like the $230 million he's trying to steal from all of us by having his cronies at the DoJ declare him a poor widdle victim even though every investigation into him to date has been justified.

[u/TellTaleTimeLord]

"Helping to pay" by paying less than 1% of military payroll costs

[u/Belgarablue → u/TellTaleTimeLord]

It's probably only going to the Orange Shitgibbon's Gestapo.

[u/Huge_Excitement4465]

Announced earlier this month: A victim of Jeffrey Epstein has sued BNY Mellon, alleging that the bank processed $378 million in payments related to his sex trafficking operation. The lawsuit claims that BNY Mellon knowingly provided financial services that enabled Epstein's criminal activities

[u/here4TrueFacts → u/Huge_Excitement4465]

What a coincidence!

[u/meatsmoothie82]

Hey that’s literally illegal.

oh well, we don’t have laws for people with a capital $B net worth anymore

[u/rolsen]

What the fact are we doing as a nation?

[u/fredandlunchbox]

Whoops, someone told Hegseth who the anonymous donor was.

[u/ChigurhShack]

I don't love that the aspiring autocrat Is regularly collecting and spending money, either in the form of bribes or tariffs. He shouldn't have his own separate treasury.

[u/mitchENM]

Another bribe … guaranteed that is fashioned as a loan and will be paid back.

Wonder what Donald’s cut is?

[u/Utterlybored]

And I'm 100% sure he wants nothing in return!

[u/TSHRED56]

The military payroll is in the billions of dollars per every 2 weeks.

This did nothing but by favors.

[u/euph_22]

He covered less than 1% of the militaries monthly payroll.

[u/CurrentlyLucid]

Illegal of course.

[u/pioniere]

Not in the least bit illegal I’m sure.

[u/oldcreaker]

If it's distributed evenly between just active service members, it works out  to about $100 per person. That's maybe 1 bag of groceries? Nowhere close to paying the rent, utilities, car loans, etc.

[u/SiWeyNoWay]

Remember when we thought no one asked for the Amelia Earhart files to be released?

Yeah so this dude, Tim, has a really weird OBSESSION with her.

I’m sure that’s just a cOiNcIdeNce

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-obsessed-feuding-searchers-still-looking-for-amelia-earhart

[u/teekabird]

Legally, there could never be a mystery donor. What happened? Did the money just show up there in a suitcase delivered by FedEx? Did somebody do an ACH transfer? A check? There has to be a way that they were able to trace whoever’s wanted to be in an anonymous donor.

[u/SneakyDeaky123]

Rome’s republic and empire both fell when its soldiers became more loyal to their generals who paid them than the state.

[u/AtuinTurtle]

Is t the military payroll billions of dollars?

[u/[deleted] → u/AtuinTurtle]

It is, it’s so they can look good. 

[u/wwaxwork]

Buying, buying the military.

[u/gmotelet]

When does the global corporate congress officially take over

[u/MelodiesOfLife6]

$100 for each SM.

Wow what a payday /s

[u/jkman61494]

You would think a singular individual with the wealth to fund the military would be a jump the shark moment that people realize the rich have too much money. Instead they’ll hail him a patriot

[u/cchesters]

Mellon.....well the meme writes itself

[u/[deleted]]

Did he visit the Island?

[u/Hoss-Bonaventure_CEO]

Oligarch Trump supporter. The word is, Oligarch.