Billionaire heir Timothy Mellon has been identified as the anonymous donor who provided a $130 million gift to assist with U.S. military salary payments amid the federal government shutdown.
Mellon, 83, is the grandson of former U.S. Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon and a longtime major donor to conservative causes. Sources say he chose to remain unnamed at the time, and President Trump described the giver only as “a great patriot who loves the military.”
The donation was accepted by the Pentagon under its general gift-acceptance authority, with the stipulation that it be used to support active-duty pay and benefits. Still, the legality of the gift is in question, as federal law restricts agencies from spending non-appropriated funds during a shutdown—a potential violation of the Antideficiency Act.
Mellon’s wealth, rooted in the Mellon banking fortune, places him among the country’s most influential political donors. While his contribution covers only a fraction of the military’s monthly salary needs, it marks a rare instance of private funding stepping in to support federal payroll obligations amid a funding lapse.