Overview: Formerly the CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt is among the left-leaning Silicon Valley tycoons who was set on getting Trump out of office. Schmidt is a longtime friend of many establishment liberals and gives consistently, though not exclusively, to Democrats. He and his wife Wendy focus much of their non-political giving on environmental issues and clean oceans.
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Total Donated (2016-2020): $3,556,425
Top Recipients: NPR, Future Forward USA PAC
Key Issues: Climate Change, Clean Oceans, Technological Innovation
Largest Donation to Date: $1,006,375 to Future Forward USA
Profile: Eric Schmidt made the bulk of his money as CEO of Google, a position he held from 2001 to 2011. He oversaw the company’s unfettered growth as Google became one of the world’s largest companies. He moved into new roles after leaving the CEO position and officially retired from the company last year. Throughout his career, he and his wife Wendy have led a variety of charitable projects. Their Schmidt Family Foundation funds a variety of environmental projects, and the couple also founded the Schmidt Ocean Institute to fund clean ocean initiatives. The Schmidts are also major donors to public radio, giving $1.5 million to their local San Francisco NPR affiliate in 2013, and recently gave $4.7 million to NPR to support local journalism.
As a political donor, Schmidt has been a reliable Democratic Party backer—though he’s given to Republicans many times in the past, as well. He’s long been close with the top echelon of establishment Democrats. During President Barack Obama’s first term, Schmidt served on his Council of Advisers on Science and Technology, and he and his Google colleagues were frequent guests at the Obama White House. He funded an election information project for the Clinton campaign, though records show he declined to make a large gift to the campaign or supporting PACs. Schmidt took a different approach in the 2020 cycle, giving more than $350,000 to the DNC, along with $1,006,375 to Future Forward USA, a super PAC that funded ads supporting Joe Biden.
Ideological Vibe: Moderate liberal. While Schmidt has given the majority of his political donations to Democrats, he’s no stranger to backing Republicans. As recently as 2016, Schmidt’s candidate donations went to a variety of incumbents from both parties, and Schmidt’s donor records show he’s given to Republican Party funds. Still, he was committed to getting Trump out of office and has had longtime relationships with establishment Democrats.
Hits and Misses: Although Schmidt didn’t donate as much to Clinton’s campaign compared to his big-money liberal peers, Schmidt did fund a data project for her campaign that many in Silicon Valley considered a flop. He rarely funds election challengers and didn’t start cutting larger checks to Democratic Party campaign funds until after the 2018 midterms.
Looking Forward: Schmidt, along with many of his Silicon Valley peers, set his sights on unseating President Trump. The success of that venture could impact the kind of donating Schmidt pursues, but expect him and Wendy at least to continue their gifts toward sustainability and environmental causes.
Relationships: Innovation Endeavors—LexicoFounder; Schmidt Family Foundation—LexicoCo-Founder; Schmidt Ocean Initiative—Co-Founder
Contact Information: N/A