Private equity firms have barely contributed to the campaign of either major U.S. presidential nominee, though slightly more money has been directed to Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump, and experts say the industry simply doesn’t have much reason to support either candidate.
As of the end of the summer, Trump’s campaign had received zero dollars from major executives at American Investment Council member firms, which includes the likes of The Blackstone Group LP, KKR & Co. LP and The Carlyle Group LP, while Clinton has brought in more than $137,000, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks campaign contributions for all candidates, including third parties.
“He made a big deal that he was self-funding,” said Howard Berkower, a partner with the corporate practice at McCarter & English LLP.