The Larry Ellison Election

Teddy Schleifer: “As 2024 beckons, Oracle founder Larry Ellison appears poised to be the single most influential donor in the Republican primary—and maybe, depending on your politics, the single most annoying one, too. That’s not because Ellison is likely to emerge as one of the five or so largest contributors in the race, but because of his unwavering support for South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, which may position him as the longshot sugar daddy au courant. Ellison, who is worth more than $100 billion on a bad day, could be the Foster Friess to Scott’s Rick Santorum, or the Sheldon Adelson to Scott’s Newt Gingrich, extending his runway and infuriating everyone else.”

“Ron DeSantis may have the most mega-donors, but Scott is the candidate who is most dependent on a single individual donor, giving Ellison a hell of a lot of influence over how the next year proceeds, and whether there is indeed any true financial consolidation against Donald Trump.”

“Then again, Ellison’s extraordinary support for Scott is what distinguishes the candidate from the likes of, say, never-gonna-happen Asa Hutchinson or Chris Sununu, who are also flirting with one percent in the polls. That financial lifeline is what makes Scott, who launched his exploratory committee last week, at least somewhat credible.”