How America’s top CEOs are spending their own money on the midterm elections

Marketwatch ^ | Oct 18, 2018 10:53 a.m. ET | By Victor Reklaitis and Katie Marriner

[Swordmaker]

Company executives often steer clear of any appearance of partisanship, in large part because they don’t want to alienate customers and investors who back the other side.

About 100 CEOs whose companies are components of the S&P 500 have been willing to fly a markedly Democratic or Republican flag in their political giving as individuals during the current election cycle, however.

MarketWatch gathered data on political contributions by those chief executives between Jan. 1, 2017, and Aug. 31, 2018, and has compiled a searchable database that shows the total money spent and the partisan breakdown, listing every contribution made by a CEO and reported to the Federal Election Commission (scroll to the bottom of this article to search the database). Anyone who held the CEO job at any S&P 500 SPX, -1.65% component company in the 2017-18 period is included.

[Swordmaker]

Apple's CEO Tim Cook contributed a total of $5,400 in the 2017 - 2018 election cycle, all of that to Zo Lofgren, the incumbent Democrat in San Jose, Califorinia’s congressional district.

"Some people have said that I shouldn’t get involved politically because probably half our customers are Republicans… so I’m going to just stay away from all that political stuff." — Apple CEO Steve Jobs, August 25, 2004

[Swordmaker]

Apple's CEO Tim Cook's total 2017-2018 election donations were $5400, all of that to Zo Lofgren, the incumbent Democrat in San Jose, Califorinia’s congressional district. Cook did not even make the list of the largest CEO political donors. Not even close. —PING!

CEO Partisan Spenders List from MarketWatch Ping!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[Dogbert41]

Considering how Apple and Google both are massively contributing to the Chinese Military/Industrial Complex for the purpose of completely destroying the United States of America, they can go F themselves and all their traitor employees.

[NormsRevenge]

Money and lots of it is a lubricant for the elites of SillyConJob Valley. They grease palms of politicians and activists alike.

They have little to no connection with the Average Joe, except for siphoning and selling off the personal data of same.

Yet, they say they have greater goals and grander visions than you and I, who are we to argue with them and their minions of supporters, caught in their webs of fake news and bannishment for speaking truths.

It used to be you didn’t have to fear total retribution for stating a plain fact, nowadays, ‘duck and cover’ is the order of the day if you even look at a lib quizically.

[Buckeye McFrog]

What surprises me is that there is very little hedging.

In the past these guys would split their contributions 50-50 or 60-40 to try and cover their bases no matter who won.

But if you look at that chart everyone skews heavily to either Democrats or Republicans.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Looks like companies that are led by Conservatives are liking their new ‘bottom lines’ under President Trump.

Wonder what the contributions were to ensure 0bama’s 2nd go round? I well remember those eight l-o-n-g years of trying to make a profit in spite of him!

Oh, I did it, but it wasn’t easy! *SPIT*

[reed13k]

Title may as well be: “How those in power are trying to stay in power”

[Aliska]

That did it. I'm returning my iphone for that and another reason. And I told the rep when I finally got one. Two reasons. Don't know which one I maddest about. Probably the ongoing family issue that torments me.

I don't want any other brand; they make the best one but there are worse things in this world. And Republicans aren't squeaky clean either. But collectively they don't support OTHER women killing their babies and people invading our border. Apple will get cheap labor out of an open borders policy. And their CEO naturally might be a better fit with Democrats.

[Aliska]

There doesn't seem to be any way to escape these people. Relatives, neighbors, medical workers I'm dependent on, lawyers I need to set up my estate and other documents, and on and on and on.

First they target the police and now they are targeting us. Two elections ago I was afraid to put a Republican sign in my front yard for fear of retribution.

And I know what it is like to be falsely accused by a malicious woman. Multiple times. And my children.

Lying, cheating and stealing have become a way of life for too many. There doesn't seem to be any way to stop it.

[TheBattman]

And giving to an incumbent who has been pretty generally to your business, and who has pretty much zero chance of being unseated, is a fairly common practice -

[TheBattman]

Care to elaborate on the Apple side of your equation? Google is bending over backwards for the Chi-Coms, I understand.

But what is Apple doing to contribute to the Chinese “Military/Industrial Complex”?

[TheBattman]

Apple will get cheap labor out of an open borders policy.

I'm not following... How does Apple benefit from open borders? Their workforce is made up primarily of skilled/educated masses - hardly the typical border-jumping description.

Low-wage workers do not make up the lion's share of the customer base for their "premium" products.

[Aliska]

You're probably right. It was a knee jerk reaction. They manufacture with cheap Chinese labor. But so did Ivanka and Trump. But I don't see everything that simply. If there is no other manufacturer and you want to run a business or have much of anything, even from Walmart, I guess you have to deal with China, directly or indirectly.

Open borders? Indirectly it's possible to staff the restaurants their employees frequent, *not* their elitist company one. And I haven't heard of any of them protesting CA breaking the law and harboring criminals as a sanctuary state.

Rock bottom, I don't hear of any of these big CEO's speaking out about Democrat protestors actually advocating hurting us, all the police for the sins of a few, our Congress people, the unfairness to our Preident, and so on.

It's time we take a non-violent stand. Rather it's time *I* take a non-violent stand after going along with the flow.

Others can do as they please even though we are no longer a free country and *our* rights are being trampled on incrementally.

[Dogbert41]

I was listening to the John Batchelor show last night as they were discussing Chinas newfound technology to defeat our stealth and couple it with Russian s400 anti - aircraft missiles, effectively destroying our newest fighter/bomber abilities- hundreds of billions down the toilet. Apple and Google are helping them with their technology. They can also find our subs now. conversely, Google even refusing to help our military.

If what they are saying is true, they should all be tried for high treason.

[Swordmaker]

That did it. I'm returning my iphone for that and another reason. And I told the rep when I finally got one. Two reasons. Don't know which one I maddest about. Probably the ongoing family issue that torments me.

You are upset about one of the lowest personal donations of ALL of the CEO donations? $5400 to a single Democrat in his home district and no other donation at all is nothing compared to some who gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to Democrats. SHEESH Aliska, it's his personal money he's entitled to do what he want's with it. Look at the BILLIONs that Bill Gates donates to push abortion.

[Aliska]

Actually I don't care what Tim Cook does with his money. It triggered something else as my daughter was on her way to get my extra Advantage for fleas for her cat and go to Target and get my sim card. So this guy comes over and I got shoved aside for him as usual. That's the sanitized version. It's much worse but I cover up for people instead of report abuse when they don't care anyway. I had to grovel before powerful men in order to get a job and survive. I would never have been good enough for Silicon Valley. I was lucky to get what I did actually. But of all the men, I have an honor roll of about 10 men who were just plain kind to me (there were probably more) instead of all the ones who were too high and mighty for me. Only a couple sexually assaulted me, and I wouldn't out them publicly because I could take care of myself. And one of the men on my "honor roll" I remembered the other day, Aime Goulet. He was very kind to me when I was moving to MA to be with my now ex husband and recommended a priest he knew who would help me find a job. It turned out I found my own job but I kept that priest's name for a long time. His brother was the star Robert Goulet. Another was the VP of the company where I did find a job. He was very kind to me for no reason other than to be kind.

[TheBattman]

99% of Consumer Electronics are made in China - with nearly all of the remaining 1% being made in Mexico, Indonesia, India, Japan, Korea, etc.

Picking Apple out of the line-up, considering many other companies (and all tech companies) being heavily invested in China is rather selective tunnel vision.