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Donor

Seth Klarman

Individual

CEO, Baupost Group · Massachusetts

10 reported gifts; 8 recipient groups listed, as reported to the FEC by the groups that received them.

Mixed results

Seth Klarman gave $5.2M to super PACs and other outside groups in the 2020 federal elections, and 100% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Dec 31, 2020). Among dollars with a matched election-stage result, 63% were on the winning side ($2.5M won, $1.5M lost). $41K had no matched result and is excluded.

Gave to outside spenders

$5.2M

100% of it helped Democrats

Winning share of scored dollars

63%

$4.0M scored (78% of gifts)

Spent on the losing side

$1.5M

Not allocated or result unknown

$1.2M

$1.1M not allocated to tracked outside spending; $41K has no matched result. Neither is cash on hand.

Where the checks went

A person writing checks from their own fortune. Each gift is split the way the group that received it split its spending between winners and losers, so a $10M check to a group that spent 80% on losers counts as $8M on the losing side.
✓ Backed the winner or attacked the loser ✗ Backed the loser or attacked the winner Result not matched
GroupGaveHow the group spent itWon / lost
Pacronym

$385K not allocated to tracked outside spending

$1.5M
$868K / $247K
Senate Majority PAC

$383K not allocated to tracked outside spending

$1.0M
$256K / $360K
House Majority PAC

$137K not allocated to tracked outside spending

$1.0M
$159K / $702K
Priorities USA Action

$10K not allocated to tracked outside spending

$1.0M
$841K / $149K
Unite the Country

$114K not allocated to tracked outside spending

$500K
$375K / $11K
DSCC

$50K not allocated to tracked outside spending

$71K
$3K / $18K
New Leadership PAC

$4K not allocated to tracked outside spending

$50K
$0 / $7K
DCCC

$26K not allocated to tracked outside spending

$36K
$2K / $8K

The trail

What the money bought

The candidates Seth Klarman's money was spent for or against, pro-rated by Seth Klarman's share of each group's funding.
CandidateRaceSpendingTheir sharePaid off?
Joe BidenPresidentSupporting$953K✓ Yes
Donald TrumpPresidentAttacking$938K✓ Yes
Donald TrumpPresident (primary)Attacking$304K✗ No
Joe BidenPresident (primary)Supporting$170K✓ Yes
Thom TilllisNorth Carolina SenateAttacking$121K✗ No
Joni ErnstIowa SenateAttacking$97K✗ No
Susan Margaret CollinsMaine SenateAttacking$88K✗ No
David A. PerdueGeorgia SenateAttacking$85K✓ Yes
John JamesMichigan SenateAttacking$78K✓ Yes
Martha McSallyArizona SenateAttacking$60K✓ Yes
Cal CunninghamNorth Carolina SenateSupporting$60K✗ No
Steve DainesMontana SenateAttacking$47K✗ No

Individual as classified from the FEC entity type and public reporting.

Questions people ask

How much did Seth Klarman spend on the 2020 elections, and did it win?
Seth Klarman gave $5.2M to super PACs and other outside groups in the 2020 federal elections, and 100% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Dec 31, 2020). Among dollars with a matched election-stage result, 63% were on the winning side ($2.5M won, $1.5M lost). $41K had no matched result and is excluded.
Which super PACs did Seth Klarman fund in 2020?
Pacronym ($1.5M), Senate Majority PAC ($1.0M), House Majority PAC ($1.0M), Priorities USA Action ($1.0M), Unite the Country ($500K).
Which candidates did Seth Klarman's money end up backing or attacking in 2020?
for Joe Biden (President, about $953K, won); against Donald Trump (President, about $938K, won); against Donald Trump (President, about $304K, lost). Amounts are the donor's share of each group's spending.