Billionaire entertainment mogul Haim Saban wants Hollywood to know exactly how much he has donated to Hillary Clinton’s campaign because he hopes the eye-popping figure inspires other deep-pocketed donors to open their wallets for the Democratic presidential candidate.
According to The Wrap, the Israeli multihyphenate and CEO of Saban Capital Group has donated $6.4 million to Clinton’s official campaign, the pro-Clinton super PAC Priorities USA, and smaller state Democrat Party committees. The sum is enough to make Saban the single largest Hollywood donor to Clinton’s campaign.
“It’s important to me for the [entertainment] industry to know what I’m doing for Hillary, how committed I am,” Saban told The Wrap after confirming the figure. “I want my number to be out there so others will be inspired to do the same.”
According to campaign donation records, Saban and his wife Cheryl donated $3 million to Priorities USA in December, bringing their total contribution to the pro-Clinton super PAC to $5 million.
The Wrap also reports that Saban and his wife have donated the maximum amount allowable to a number of smaller state Democratic organizations. Here is the outlet’s breakdown of those contributions:
- $310,000 by Haim Saban to 31 state parties (he had already paid the maximum to one of the states)
- $320,000 from Cheryl Saban went to 32 state parties.
- Each gave $320,000 again in January, maxing out their total for 2016
- $33,400 to the DNC in November (maximum allowed)
- $33,400 to the DNC in January (maximum allowed)
- $5400 – or, $2700 each – to the Hillary Clinton campaign (hard money, maximum allowed)
Those contributions equal an additional $1.4 million to the Hillary Victory Fund, the name of the joint organization that comprises all of the smaller state Democrat entities.
The $6.4 million figure does not include the money raised by the Sabans at a fundraiser at the couple’s Beverly Hills mansion last May. The $2,700-per-plate affair was attended by more than 700 people and reportedly hauled in $1.9 million for Clinton’s campaign.
Saban’s level of support for Clinton easily puts him ahead of other Hollywood power players like Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg, each of whom donated $1 million to Clinton’s campaign last year. Last week, Star Wars director J.J. Abrams announced that he too had donated $1 million to Clinton’s campaign along with his wife Katie McGrath.
In November, Saban caused a minor headache for Clinton’s campaign when he suggested that the U.S. should use “more scrutiny” when profiling American Muslims. The billionaire businessman later walked back his statement, saying he “misspoke.”