Timothy Mellon, a billionaire with ties to a well-known American banking lineage, has made headlines recently after donating $130 million to support the U.S. military during the government shutdown.
A report from the New York Times revealed that Mellon was the anonymous source of this significant funding.
This week, President Trump acknowledged the donation, referring to the donor as a “friend” who has a deep appreciation for the military and the country, but opted to remain unnamed.
While on a trip to Asia, Trump described the donor as a “great gentleman” and “great patriot,” noting how unusual it is for such donations to be made anonymously.
When questioned about the donation, the White House directed inquiries to the Army and Treasury Departments, though they were slow to respond.
Attempts to reach Mellon for comments yielded no results.
At 83, Mellon is the grandson of Andrew Mellon, a notable businessman and philanthropist. The Mellon family’s estimated wealth stands at around $14 billion, according to Forbes.
Interestingly, just a day after Trump was found guilty of fraud in New York in 2024, Mellon contributed $50 million to a pro-Trump super PAC called Make America Great Again.
He typically stays out of the public eye, residing in Wyoming.
Andrew Mellon previously served as the Secretary of the Treasury from 1921 to 1932 and gained substantial wealth leading up to the Great Depression. His philanthropic efforts included significant donations to institutions like the National Gallery of Art and Carnegie Mellon University.
The Pentagon has stated that it accepted the donation, but there are concerns about whether the funds can actually be utilized. Due to the Deficiency Prevention Act, agencies are often restricted from spending money not approved by Congress during a government shutdown.
According to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, the donation was contingent upon it being used to cover military pay and benefits.
In a recent Senate vote, the decision to fund active duty military personnel was rejected with a tally of 54-45.
Earlier this month, Trump had attempted to assure that military personnel would be compensated despite the ongoing shutdown, directing Army Secretary Pete Hegseth to utilize available funds to ensure troops received their pay by October 15th.
Ultimately, the Department of Defense indicated that the funds could come from left-over research and development budgets, but there are ongoing debates about whether such actions might bypass Congress’s authority over spending.
