Fact Check: Melinda French Gates Donated $52M to Kamala Harris' Campaign?

Claim:

Melinda French Gates donated $52 million to U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign in July 2024.

Rating:

Unfounded ( About this rating? )

Context:

While Melinda French Gates publicly confirmed she donated to Kamala Harris' campaign in July 2024, we found no proof the amount was $52 million.

In July 2024, multiple social media posts claimed philanthropist Melinda French Gates — former co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — donated $52 million to U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' 2024 presidential campaign.

Examples appeared on X , Reddit and Instagram .

Another X post was particularly popular but has since been deleted.

(X account @harris_wins)

Although Gates did publicly endorse Harris and announced she gave money to the vice president's campaign, we found no evidence the donation amounted to $52 million.

On July 23, Gates backed Harris on X, saying the Democrat " has an inspiring vision for America—and she has the experience to make it a reality."

Two days later, the philanthropist said on "CBS Mornings" she had already made contributions to Harris' campaign and will continue to do so, although she did not confirm the value of any previous or future donations.

Gates' donations had not shown up in the public Federal Election Commission database, as of this writing.

No reputable news outlets reported the $52 million figure when covering her donation to Harris' campaign.

Sources:

'Browse Individual Contributions'. FEC.Gov , https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/ . Accessed 30 July 2024.

Melinda Gates Donated Kamala Harris '$52' Million - Google Search. https://www.google.com/search?q=melinda+gates+donated+kamala+harris+%22%2452%22+million&sca_esv=3f99e2d73d683bd3&biw=1280&bih=593&tbm=nws&ei=a1GqZvDzG__o7_UP77mO4Qc&ved=0ahUKEwiw1ffGxdGHAxV_9LsIHe-cI3wQ4dUDCA4&uact=5&oq=melinda+gates+donated+kamala+harris+%22%2452%22+million&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LW5ld3MiMW1lbGluZGEgZ2F0ZXMgZG9uYXRlZCBrYW1hbGEgaGFycmlzICIkNTIiIG1pbGxpb25ItQtQnwJY7AlwAHgAkAEAmAGtAaABwgiqAQMyLje4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgigAvwHwgIHECEYoAEYCpgDAIgGAZIHAzAuOKAHpiA&sclient=gws-wiz-news . Accessed 31 July 2024.

'X.Com'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://x.com/melindagates/status/1815729879381373009 . Accessed 31 July 2024.