Timothy Mellon, seen outside an inspection train during a property tour in 1981. Exact date and location unknown.<\/p>\n
AP Photo<\/p>\n
A mystery donor whose $130 million contribution<\/a> is meant to pay U.S. military troops during the government shutdown<\/a> is Timothy Mellon<\/a>, an heir to a renowned Gilded Age banking family, The New York Times reported<\/a> Saturday.<\/p>\n But Mellon’s donation works out to only about $100 per service member. It costs nearly $6.4 billion to pay U.S. troops every two weeks.<\/p>\n And using his money might run afoul of federal law, according to the Times, which cited two people familiar with the matter in identifying the billionaire railroad<\/a> magnate as the donor. <\/p>\n When President Donald Trump<\/a> announced the donation at the White House on Thursday, he did not name the man’s identity, but described him as a “great patriot” and a “friend of mine.”<\/p>\n “And he’s a big supporter of mine,” Trump told reporters on Friday night. “He’s a wonderful man, and he doesn’t want publicity.”<\/p>\n Mellon has an estimated net worth close to $1 billion, according to Forbes<\/a>. <\/p>\n But in an email to the news outlet in 2024, Mellon wrote, “Billionaire NOT! … Never have been, never will be.”<\/p>\n Mellon’s contribution is aimed at helping to cover the cost of U.S. military troops’ salaries and benefits as the federal shutdown drags on.<\/p>\n Read more CNBC government shutdown coverage<\/p>\n The donation might have violated the Antideficiency Act,<\/a> which bars federal agencies from spending funds that have not been appropriated by Congress, the Times reported.<\/p>\n His gift is also unlikely to go far in offsetting the cost of military pay.<\/p>\n