Who is Timothy Mellon? POTUS Donald Trump's mystery $130 million military donor revealed as Gilded Age heir

Timothy Mellon is a billionaire heir to a prominent Gilded Age banking family. He is the son of Paul Mellon and his wife, Mary Conover Brown. He is a significant contributor to the Republican Party.

The mystery donor behind the $130 million contribution intended to pay U.S. military personnel during the government shutdown has been revealed as Mellon, according to The New York Times. Former President Donald Trump announced the donation at the White House, though he did not share the donor’s name at the time.

“And he’s a big supporter of mine,” Trump told reporters. “He’s a wonderful man, and he doesn’t want publicity.”

Reclusive Mellon Heir Timothy Mellon Donates $130 Million to Support Our Troops. 🇺🇸🇺🇸

Timothy Mellon, a billionaire heir to the Mellon fortune, has donated $130 million to fund troop payments and is a significant financial supporter of President Trump.

Thank you, sir! 👏🏻🙏🏻🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/niDfokZHmV

— MAGA Kitty (@SaveUSAKitty) October 25, 2025

Mellon’s donation accounts for a small part of the overall expense of military pay, averaging around $100 per service member. In contrast, the United States spends about $6.4 billion every two weeks on salaries and benefits for active-duty military personnel. The potential use of Mellon’s donation has raised legal questions, as federal law prohibits agencies from spending funds not appropriated by Congress under the Antideficiency Act.

Timothy Mellon’s political contributions and the impact of $130 million military donation

Timothy Mellon has a long history of giving money to politics. His grandfather, Andrew Mellon, served as Treasury Secretary for many years. During the 2024 election cycle, Mellon gave Trump’s super PAC $50 million. This stands as one of the biggest donations revealed in recent years. Some estimate his net worth to be close to $1 billion, yet Mellon has denied such claims.

“Billionaire NOT! ... Never have been, never will be,” Mellon wrote in a 2024 email.

The donation stirred up discussions among lawmakers and political analysts. Senator Chris Coons' spokesman raised concerns about anonymous donors affecting government funding decisions.

“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,” the spokesman told NBC News.

The U.S. military has over 1.3 million active-duty members, and the Trump administration’s 2025 budget seeks about $600 billion to cover military pay and operations. Mellon’s $130 million donation is a small fraction of what’s required to fund these needs.

The goal of the contribution is to give short-term financial support to troops dealing with challenges caused by the current federal shutdown. However, when compared to the massive amount the U.S. spends on its military, the donation cannot close the financial gap. Mellon, who has built wealth through railroads and other businesses, keeps a quiet public image despite making notable political donations and being wealthy.

People are describing the donation as a patriotic act, but lawmakers and policy experts are questioning the legal and ethical issues tied to using private money to handle government responsibilities.