How ‘Open Secrets’ Exposes the Money Powering Trump’s Agenda and Global Disruptors

Posted on September 25, 2025

In an era where democracy feels increasingly like a high-stakes auction, transparency isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a lifeline.

Enter ‘Open Secrets’, the nonpartisan watchdog that’s been shining a light on the dark corners of political finance since 1996.

Run by the Center for Responsive Politics, OpenSecrets (opensecrets.org) aggregates data from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and other sources to reveal who funds elections, lobbies lawmakers, and shapes policy.

Its mission? To empower everyday citizens with the facts about money’s outsized influence on power. By tracking contributions, super PACs, and dark money groups, OpenSecrets demystifies how billionaires and corporations buy access—and sometimes, outcomes.

As we navigate the turbulent waters of 2025, with Donald Trump back in the White House and his “America First” ethos rippling across the globe, the site’s revelations are more critical than ever.

Trump’s return has amplified isolationist policies, strained alliances like NATO, and emboldened authoritarian-leaning leaders worldwide.

But who’s footing the bill for this shift? And how does it echo in funding streams to other figures sowing discord on the international stage?

From the UK’s Brexit hangover to Israel’s protracted conflicts, and beyond…

Europe’s far-right resurgence, billionaire cash is accelerating what many see as humanity’s slow-motion downfall: deepened divisions, environmental neglect, and endless geopolitical strife.

Let’s dive into the data, straight from OpenSecrets and beyond.

The Billionaire Backers Fueling Trump’s Return

Trump’s 2024 campaign and inaugural efforts weren’t just a political comeback—they were a financial juggernaut.

According to OpenSecrets, his operation raked in hundreds of millions, much of it from a handful of ultra-wealthy individuals and their affiliated entities.

These donors aren’t passive check-writers; many have vested interests in deregulation, tax cuts, and policies that prioritize profits over people or the planet.

Here’s a snapshot of the top individual donors in the 2024 federal cycle who overwhelmingly backed Republicans—and by extension, Trump—pouring in record sums that dwarf previous elections:

1. Elon Musk – $291,482,587 to Republicans. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO didn’t just donate; he became a vocal surrogate, meeting with leaders from at least 13 countries to push his vision of deregulation and space dominance. His contributions, funneled through super PACs like Securing American Greatness, helped bankroll ads and voter turnout efforts.
2. Timothy Mellon – $197,047,200 to Republicans. The reclusive heir to a banking fortune (and grandson of Andrew Mellon) is a longtime conservative megadonor. His cash supported anti-immigration and election integrity groups aligned with Trump’s narrative.
3. Miriam Adelson – $148,304,900 to Republicans. The casino magnate and widow of Sheldon Adelson doubled down on her pro-Israel stance, funding groups that bolstered Trump’s Middle East policies—despite criticisms of escalating regional tensions.
4. Richard & Elizabeth Uihlein – $143,498,936 to Republicans. The Uline shipping empire owners are serial funders of far-right causes, including efforts to challenge voting rights and promote cultural conservatism.
5. Kenneth Griffin – $108,402,284 to Republicans. The Citadel hedge fund billionaire backed Trump’s economic agenda, eyeing lighter financial regulations.

These aren’t isolated checks; aggregated from OpenSecrets‘ tracking of Trump’s direct contributors, they include PACs and employee donations from firms like SpaceX ($276M total) and Uline Inc. ($13M).

The result? A war chest that not only secured the White House but also powered Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s blueprint for remaking government—funded by over $120 million from families like the Kochs and Coors.

Critics argue this influx has real-world fallout: weakened environmental protections (cheering oil barons like those at Energy Transfer LP, which gave $12.5M), eroded trust in institutions, and a foreign policy that alienates allies while cozying up to strongmen. Trump’s tariffs and NATO skepticism, for instance, have rattled global markets and emboldened adversaries.

The UK’s Populist Pivot: Billionaire Bets on Brexit 2.0

Across the Atlantic, the UK’s political landscape mirrors America’s donor-driven chaos, with foreign and domestic billionaires pouring millions into parties that amplify division and deregulation.

While OpenSecrets tracks U.S. money abroad, investigations reveal how American tycoons like Elon Musk are extending their influence to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK

The anti-immigration party that’s surged in polls amid economic woes and post-Brexit regrets. Musk, already Trump’s top donor, has pledged support to Reform UK, joining a network of wealthy backers promising “political disruption like we have never seen before.”

Party treasurer Nick Candy, a property billionaire, has funneled funds alongside fossil fuel magnates and tax-haven operators, totaling over £5 million in recent donations.

This cash influx—echoing the £109 million from House of Lords peers to the Conservatives—fuels Reform’s agenda of slashing regulations, stoking anti-EU sentiment, and prioritizing billionaire-friendly policies. 

The fallout? A hollowed-out NHS, rising inequality, and a brain drain as young talent flees. Foreign billionaires, including U.S. conservatives, exploit UK lax disclosure rules to back these disruptors, accelerating humanity’s “downfall” through eroded social safety nets and amplified xenophobia that poisons transatlantic ties.

Israel’s Endless Conflicts: U.S. Dollars Deepening the Divide

No examination of donor-fueled global woes skips Israel, where U.S. billionaires have long bankrolled hardline policies that perpetuate cycles of violence and displacement.

Miriam Adelson’s $148 million Republican mega-donation isn’t just pro-Trump—it’s a lifeline for Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, which has overseen the Gaza escalation since October 2023.

Pro-Israel lobbying hit new highs in 2025, with groups like AIPAC spending millions more—up 375% in one case—on campaigns to silence critics and secure unconditional U.S. aid.

Top AIPAC donors read like a billionaire hall of infamy:

WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum ($10M+), hedge funder Jonathon Jacobson ($5M+), and Adelson herself, whose Las Vegas Sands empire ties gambling profits to geopolitical brinkmanship.

Since 2020, pro-Israel interests have dumped over $230 million into Trump’s orbit alone, ensuring policies that prioritize military escalation over diplomacy.

OpenSecrets data shows these funds flow to congressional hawks, distorting U.S. foreign policy and fueling a humanitarian catastrophe that’s claimed tens of thousands of lives.

The “downfall” here? A Middle East powder keg that risks wider war, diverting global resources from climate action to endless arms races.

Broader Horizons: Billionaire Networks Supercharging Global Populism

Trump’s donors don’t operate in silos—their tendrils reach Europe’s far-right wildfire, Latin America’s authoritarian echoes, and Asia’s nationalist surges, all hallmarks of what critics call humanity’s self-inflicted decline.

In Europe, Musk’s shadow looms large again, with his cash and X platform amplifying fascist-leaning populists from France’s Marine Le Pen to Germany’s AfD.

U.S. billionaires like the Mercers (Cambridge Analytica pioneers) have funneled millions into these movements via think tanks, eroding the EU’s unity on migration, green energy, and Ukraine aid.

The result: policy paralysis that hastens climate tipping points and emboldens Putin.

Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, ever the Trump clone, draws from similar wells: DeVos family cash via evangelical NGOs sustains his Amazon-destroying legacy, while U.S. conservatives back his 2026 comeback bid.

In India, Modi’s Hindu nationalism—courted by Musk for Starlink deals—stokes communal violence and silences dissent, with donor networks from Silicon Valley oiling the machine.

Even Trump’s inner circle exemplifies the rot: Ten billionaires now hold sway in his administration, from agency heads to advisors, cashing in on deregulation that guts worker protections and environmental safeguards.

Project 2025’s $130 million from six family fortunes alone ties climate denial to this global web, dooming future generations to floods, famines, and inequality.

Why This Matters: Reclaiming Democracy from the Donor Class

OpenSecrets isn’t just a database; it’s a call to action. By naming names—from Musk’s empire to Adelson’s war chest—it strips away the veil, showing how a tiny elite (the top 100 donors gave over $2 billion in 2024) dictates agendas that touch us all: climate inaction, endless wars, eroded rights.

The negative ripple?

Policies supercharging inequality, from UK’s austerity to Israel’s blockades, while populist flames lick across continents.

But knowledge is power.

Dive into OpenSecrets yourself—search your zip code’s donors, track lobbyists, or join the push for campaign finance reform.

In a world of “open secrets,” true secrecy dies when we refuse to look away. Is it time for global donor caps, or public election funding? Share in the comments.

Sources: All data drawn from OpenSecrets.org unless otherwise noted.

For full methodologies, please visit the site.

The UK & EU equivalent…

There are several excellent resources that serve as equivalents to OpenSecrets for tracking political spending, donations, and lobbying in the UK and EU.

While the US system (via OpenSecrets) is heavily focused on federal campaign finance disclosures, the UK and EU have their own regulatory frameworks, leading to a mix of official databases and independent watchdogs that aggregate and analyze the data.

These tools often emphasize lobbying transparency (e.g., ministerial meetings) over direct campaign contributions, as UK/EU rules differ—political donations are capped and disclosed, but “dark money” via think tanks or foreign influence remains a challenge.

I’ll break it down by region, highlighting the most similar sites with key features. All are free to use and nonpartisan.

For the UK: Tracking Donations, Spending, and Lobbying

The UK’s Electoral Commission is the official regulator, similar to the US FEC, and provides raw data on political party donations (over £500), loans, election spending, and referendum campaigns.

For more user-friendly analysis and lobbying insights, independent sites like ‘They Work For You’ and ‘Open Democracy’ fill the gaps.

Electoral Commission Search Database (‘Electoral Commission’)

The go-to official tool for searching donations to parties and candidates, campaign spending returns, and party accounts.

It covers everything from major donors (e.g., tracking £millions from individuals or companies) to non-party campaigners. In 2024, it revealed over £100 million in donations across parties, with Conservatives receiving the lion’s share from business tycoons.

Search by donor name, party, or date—it’s comprehensive but data-heavy.

‘They Work For You’

Run by mySociety, this tracks MPs’ voting records, expenses, and crucially, a “Register of Interests” that includes donations and lobbying ties.

It’s great for seeing who funds MPs’ trips or offices. For example, it flags foreign-linked donations that could influence policy on issues like Brexit or climate.

‘Open Access UK’

A transparency-focused site by Transparency International UK, monitoring lobbying meetings between ministers/special advisors and external groups (e.g., corporations or unions).

It logs over 10,000 meetings annually, revealing how Big Tech or fossil fuel firms gain access—much like OpenSecrets’ revolving door tracker.

Open Democracy’s Funding the Future (opendemocracy.net/en)

An investigative arm that maps “dark money” in UK politics, including think tanks funded by donors like the Koch network. It exposed £millions in opaque funding to pro-Brexit groups.

For the EU: Focusing on Lobbying and Influence (Less on Elections)

EU-wide political donations are rarer (elections are mostly national), so tracking emphasizes the massive lobbying ecosystem in Brussels—over 30,000 lobbyists spend €1.5 billion yearly.

The EU Transparency Register is the official hub, with tools like ‘Lobby Facts’ making it searchable.

‘EU Transparency Register’

(ec.europa.eu/transparencyregister)

The official database for lobbyists registering their activities, clients, and spending with EU institutions (Parliament, Commission, Council).

It tracks interest representatives (e.g., Big Pharma or green NGOs) and their financial declarations. In 2024, it showed a surge in AI lobbying, with tech giants like Google spending €millions.

LobbyFacts.eu

A collaborative tool by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) and Lobby Control, pulling EU register data into searchable, ranked lists.

Filter by lobbyist, client, issue (e.g., climate or trade), or spending—ideal for spotting undue influence, like how energy firms outspend renewables. It’s the closest EU analog to OpenSecrets’ industry breakdowns.

‘Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO)’

An independent watchdog exposing corporate capture of EU policy. Their reports and database track lobbying networks, revolving doors (e.g., ex-commissioners joining firms), and hidden funding. Recent work highlighted how US billionaires influence EU deregulation via allied groups.

Cross-Border and Global Options
For overlaps (e.g., US money flowing to UK/EU politics), check:

‘Influence Map’

Tracks corporate lobbying on climate and energy across the US, UK, and EU, showing spending patterns by firms like Exxon or Shell.

‘Global Witness’

Focuses on illicit finance in politics, with UK/EU reports on foreign donations and corruption.

These sites empower journalists, activists, and citizens much like OpenSecrets.