Vice President J.D. Vance is using his position as the Republican National Committee’s finance chair to strengthen ties with a number of billionaires, The New York Times reported Wednesday, developing relationships with a number of top GOP donors as he eyes a potential 2028 presidential run.
Vice President JD Vance speaks at an event in Budapest, Hungary on April 7.
POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Vance has been raising money for the RNC and overseeing its fundraising operations as finance chair, with The Times reporting that top donors are told donating to the party is the “main way” to register their interest in Vance’s 2028 run.
A number of top donors have either hosted or attended RNC fundraisers with Vance, The Times reports, and he’s developed relationships with a number of billionaire donors—including some who had previously been skeptical of the vice president, like hedge fund magnate Paul Singer.
RNC Chair Joe Gruters confirmed to The Times that some donors are giving to the party specifically because of Vance, noting the vice president “is being mentioned for future office, and so people want to be able to start building that relationship.”
Vance has also cultivated relationships with billionaires through the Rockbridge Network donor group he co-founded, with The Times reporting that billionaires including Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss attended an event in March for the group.
The vice president has been raising money for the RNC rather than his own political fund or campaign, but The Times reports that through an agreement with the RNC, 5% of funds raised for the party through small-dollar online fundraising are being directed toward Vance’s PAC Working for Ohio.
Miriam Adelson: Vance has “developed a relationship” with megadonor Adelson, the Times reports, as the widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson has become one of the GOP’s top donors. Photos confirm the vice president spent New Year’s Eve spending time with Adelson at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
Sergey Brin: The Google co-founder attended an RNC fundraiser supporting Vance last year, according to The Times. Federal Election Commission filings confirm the billionaire gave $443,000 to the committee in May 2025. He’s previously been known as a Democratic donor, particularly aligning himself with President Barack Obama, but has also decried partisanship and called for the winners of the 2012 election to govern as Independents.
Joe Lonsdale: The Palantir co-founder hosted a fundraiser for the RNC at his home in March, according to The Times, at which Vance was the “guest of honor.” FEC filings confirm Lonsdale gave $44,300 to the RNC last month.
Elon Musk: The Times reports Vance has strengthened his relationship with Musk, who previously served in the Trump administration, though FEC filings show the billionaire—who has his own political super PAC—hasn’t given to the RNC since October 2024.
Chamath Palihapitiya: The podcaster, whom Forbes valued as a billionaire in 2021, hosted an event for Vance in May 2024 in Silicon Valley that brought in $4 million, according to The Times. FEC filings show Palihapitiya gave the RNC a combined $425,677 in 2025, after the onetime-billionaire switched his allegiance from Democrats to the GOP with the 2024 election. The former Democratic donor told Rolling Stone he was able to secure more influence by backing Trump than he did when he was giving money to Democrats, and has since become a major donor to the president.
John Paulson: Hedge fund manager Paulson has also developed a relationship with Vance, according to The Times, and gave a combined $90,000 to the RNC in November.
Stephen A. Schwarzman: Vance invited the Blackstone co-founder to the vice president’s residence for dinner in 2025, according to The Times, and the billionaire gave $25,000 to the RNC in September.
Paul Singer: The hedge fund magnate has “grown close to” Vance after previously believing someone else should have been chosen as President Donald Trump’s running mate, The Times reports, and the two talk regularly. FEC filings confirm Singer also gave a combined $443,000 to the RNC in March.
Peter Thiel: Vance has long had a relationship with Thiel, who served as a mentor to the now-vice president and previously employed Vance at his venture capital firm Mithril Capital. The two are still close, The Times reports.
Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss: The crypto billionaire twins were attendees at Vance’s Rockbridge Network event last month, as spotted by The Times, and have given the RNC $1.1 million in total since January 2025.
Alex and Zach Witkoff: The two sons of Steve Witkoff, Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, were also in attendance at the Rockbridge event, according to the Times. Forbes values Steve Witkoff and his family as jointly being worth some $2.3 billion.
Jeff Yass: The vice president has also “cultivated ties” with Susquehanna International Group co-founder Yass, the Times reports, a GOP megadonor who’s increasingly become linked to Trump. FEC filings show Yass gave $250,000 to the RNC in February.
$225.6 million. That’s the total amount the RNC has raised between January 2025 and March of this year, according to the FEC.
Vance has not yet confirmed he intends to run for president in 2028, though it’s widely speculated he will. The Washington Post reported last month the vice president still has not made up his mind about running, saying in private conversations that he’s waiting to see how his child who’s due this summer will impact his family’s life. A YouGov poll conducted in April found Vance remains Republican voters’ preference for a nominee in 2028, with 36% saying he would be their “ideal choice,” though that’s down from 41% who said the same in January.
Correction (4/18): This story has been updated to reflect Joe Gruters is chair of the RNC.
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