The art world has never shied away from politics, and this particularly absurd campaign season is no exception. Below is a list that looks at the financial contributions that people at the high end of the art market are making toward the current U.S. presidential campaign.
The list is not comprehensive, but it is a representative sample of the people in power on the commercial side of the art world. We compiled it by looking at the exhibitor list for the most recent edition of the Art Basel fair in Miami Beach—the fair with the highest concentration of blue-chip galleries in the United States—and our own Top 200 Collectors list from 2015. In addition to direct contributions to a presidential candidate’s campaign, donations to the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee are included here, as well as funds provided to political action committees created specifically to back a single presidential candidate. (PACs that are not directly linked to a presidential candidate were not included, and for the purpose of this list, we do not consider Paul Ryan a presidential candidate.) Only donations made since the conclusion of the 2014 congressional elections have been included.
The few dealers represented here are, more or less, the cream of the crop in American art dealing, and somewhat predictably, much of their money went to the Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton. Two exceptions are Larry Gagosian and Per Skarstedt, both of whom donated $2,700 to Chris Christie’s presidential campaign.
The collectors lean far less to the left, by comparison. Alexandra and Steven A. Cohen gave $6 million to the Christie Super PAC America Leads. Ronald Perelman gave $600,000 to Security Is Strength, a Super PAC backing Lindsey Graham, who dropped out of the presidential race in December. Perelman also donated $500,000 to Jeb Bush, through a separate PAC called Right to Rise. Daniel S. Loeb, whose Third Point LLC hedge fund is a major investor in Sotheby’s, gave $5,000 to Right to Rise, as well as $150,000 to the RNC. Casino magnate Stephen Wynn donated to both Ted Cruz and, through the America Leads PAC, Christie. Wynn was also the only donor on the list to give money to Carly Fiorina’s Super PAC, Carly for America. Another rarity: San Francisco–based collectors Nora and Norman Stone are the lone Bernie Sanders supporters on this list, having together given the maximum donation of $5,400 to his primary campaign. These numbers all come from a public database maintained by the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks campaign contributions. What follows is by no means definitive and will change in the future as more donations are made and refunds are processed.
COLLECTORS
William Bell Jr.
$5,400 to Hillary Clinton
Leon Black
$100,000 to Right to Rise USA, a Super PAC that supported Jeb Bush
Neil G. Bluhm
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Norman Braman
$6 million to Conservative Solutions, a Super PAC that supported Marco Rubio
$400 to Marco Rubio
Peter Brant (Disclosure: Peter Brant is the majority shareholder in the parent company of ARTnews)
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Eli Broad
$5,400 to Hillary Clinton
Edythe Broad
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Donald Bryant Jr.
$100,000 to Right to Rise USA, a Super PAC that supported Jeb Bush
Paul Cejas
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton and $33,400 to the DNC
Trudy Cejas
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Alexandra Cohen
$3 million to America Leads, a Super PAC that supported Chris Christie
Steven A. Cohen
$3 million to America Leads, a Super PAC that supported Chris Christie
Beth Rudin Dewoody
$33,400 to the DNC
Glenn Dubin
$5,400 to Hillary Clinton
$5,000 to Right to Rise USA, a Super PAC that supported Jeb Bush
Lawrence J. Ellison
$4 million to Conservative Solutions, a Super PAC that supported Marco Rubio
$5,400 to Marco Rubio
Katherine G. Farley
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Frank Fertitta III
$62,500 to the RNC
$5,000 to Leadership Matters for America, a Super PAC that supported Chris Christie
Lorenzo Fertitta
$62,500 to the RNC
$5,000 to Leadership Matters for America, a Super PAC that supported Chris Christie
David Geffen
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
$2,700 to Bernie Sanders
Kenneth C. Griffin
$925,000 to the RNC
$2.6 million to Conservative Solutions, a Super PAC that supported Marco Rubio
Agnes Gund
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Nathalie de Gunzburg
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Bruce Halle
$2,000 to Draft Ted Cruz for President
Janine Hill
$2,700 to Jeb Bush
J. Tomilson Hill
$2,700 to Jeb Bush
Marguerite Hoffman
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Jeanne Klein
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Henry Kravis
$334,000 to the RNC
Jon Landau
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Barbara Lee
$1,407,904 to Priorities USA Action, a Super PAC formed to support Obama that is now supporting Hillary Clinton
$33,400 to the DNC
$62,000 to Correct the Record, a Super PAC supporting Hillary Clinton
$165,920 to American Bridge, a Super PAC supporting Hillary Clinton
$189,000 to Ready PAC, a Super PAC supporting Hillary Clinton
$5,400 to Hillary Clinton
Eric Lefkofsky
$2,700 to Chris Christie
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Jo Carole
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Leonard A. Lauder
$100,000 to We the People, Not Washington, a Super PAC supporting George Pataki
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Daniel S. Loeb
$5,000 to Right to Rise USA, a Super PAC that supported Jeb Bush
$2,700 to Jeb Bush
$150,000 to the RNC
Daniel Och
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
$2,700 to Jeb Bush
Raymond J. McGuire
$20,000 to the DNC
Marsha Perelman
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Ronald O. Perelman
$600,000 to Security Is Strength, a Super PAC that supported Lindsey Graham
$500,000 to Rise to Rise, a Super PAC that supported Jeb Bush
$2,700 to Jeb Bush
$2,700 to Lindsey Graham
Lisa Perry
$5,400 to Hillary Clinton
Richard Perry
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
John Pritzker
$5,400 to Hillary Clinton
Lisa Pritzker
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Hilary Ross
$90,400 to the RNC
Wilbur L. Ross
$140,800 RNC
$5,000 Reclaim America, a Super PAC supporting Marco Rubio
$300 Rubio
Mera Rubell
$2,700 Hillary Clinton
Roger Sant
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Fayez Sarofim
$500,000 Right to Rise USA, a Super PAC supporting Jeb Bush
Chara Schreyer
$5,400 Hillary Clinton
Charles Schwab
$200,400 to the RNC
Helen Schwab
$1.5 million to Right to Rise USA, a Super PAC supporting Jeb Bush
$2,700 to Jeb Bush
Alan Schwartz
$30,000 to Right to Rise USA, a Super PAC supporting Jeb Bush
$2,700 to Jeb Bush
Elizabeth Singer
$1,000 to Hillary Clinton
Eric Smidt
$33,400 to the DNC
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Jerry Speyer
$2,700 to Lindsey Graham
$2,700 to Jeb Bush
$100,000 to Right to Rise USA, a Super PAC supporting Jeb Bush
$32,400 to the RNC
Judy Steinhardt
$5,600 to Lindsey Graham
$1,000 to Hillary Clinton
Michael Steinhardt
$10,800 to Marco Rubio
$2,700 to Chris Christie
$10,900 to Lindsey Graham
Norah Stone
$2,700 to Bernie Sanders
Norman Stone
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
$2,700 to Bernie Sanders
Daniel S. Sundheim
$25,000 to Right to Rise USA, a Super PAC supporting Jeb Bush
Jane Toll
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Robert Toll
$5,400 to Hillary Clinton
Bruce E. Toll
$65,800 to the RNC
$2,700 to Jeb Bush
$2,700 to Marco Rubio
Alice Walton
$200 to the DNC
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Abigail Wexner
$2,700 to John Kasich
$250,000 to New Day for America, a Super PAC supporting John Kasich
Leslie Wexner
$64,000 to the RNC
$2,700 to Jeb Bush
$505,000 to Right to Rise USA, a Super PAC supporting Jeb Bush
Elaine Wynn
$16,568 to Right to Rise USA, a Super PAC supporting Jeb Bush
Stephen A. Wynn
$5,400 to Ted Cruz
$2,700 to Chris Christie
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
$25,000 to Carly for America, a Super PAC supporting Carly Fiorina
$25,000 to America Leads, a Super PAC supporting Chris Christie
$5,000 to Leadership Matters for America, a Super PAC supporting Chris Christie
$50,000 to RNC
DEALERS
Paula Cooper
$4,400 to EMILY’s list, a Super PAC that supports Hillary Clinton
Larry Gagosian
$2,700 to Chris Christie
Marc Glimcher
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Marian Goodman
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Garth Greenan
$966 to Hillary Clinton
Hannah Hoffman
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Karen Jenkins-Johnson
$2,902 to Hillary Clinton
Adam Lindemann
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Matthew Marks
$2,000 to Hillary Clinton
Shaun Caley Regen
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton
Andrea Rosen
$1,000 to Hillary Clinton
Per Skarstedt
$2,700 to Chris Christie
Cristin Tierney
$2,700 to Hillary Clinton