South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Space entrepreneur backs DeSantis with $10M check
Space entrepreneur Robert Bigelow has spent big money searching for aliens and evidence of an afterlife.
The Las Vegas-based business owner found a new cause to get behind in 2022: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Bigelow cut a $10 million check to DeSantis’ reelection effort in July, topping other wealthy donors supporting the Republican governor, according to a year-end review of campaign finance records by the Orlando Sentinel.
DeSantis, widely seen as a possible presidential contender in 2024, hauled in about $200 million for his reelection effort, possibly the most ever raised by a candidate for governor in American history, records show.
Bigelow, 78, made his fortune through real estate and Budget Suites of America, an extended-stay chain he founded. He went on to launch Bigelow Aerospace, investing hundreds of millions of dollars of his own money into the company.
He has been fascinated by UFOs since childhood and spent considerably on research into extraterrestrial life. He told “60 Minutes” in 2017 he was “absolutely convinced” aliens had visited Earth and were “right under people’s noses.”
Bigelow also has been searching for evidence of an afterlife. Recently, he offered up to $1 million for research into consciousness after death.
Bigelow’s assistant did not return a message seeking comment on his donation to DeSantis, which was first reported by NBC News.
In an interview earlier this year Bigelow told The New York Times Magazine he was impressed with DeSantis’ leadership, particularly his battle with Disney over its opposition to the Parental Rights in Education Act that limits classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Speaking to the Associated Press, Bigelow likened DeSantis to a young Ronald Reagan and praised his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bigelow said DeSantis toured Bigelow Aerospace’s Nevada facility in July, The New York Times Magazine reported.
“I thought, ‘Gee, what an excellent time to, early on, contribute to the man and pay him that respect,’ ” Bigelow told The New York Times Magazine, adding that he was unaware DeSantis was up for reelection until a friend told him.
A DeSantis campaign spokesman did not return a message seeking comment on whether the governor has met Bigelow.
Bigelow hasn’t been an active donor in Florida politics. A review of campaign finance records shows no other contributions to political committees in the state.
Bigelow’s business interests have intersected with Florida, a space hub for the nation, in the past.
In 2011 Bigelow Aerospace signed a memorandum of understanding with Space Florida, the state’s aerospace financing and development authority, agreeing to work together to find companies to use Bigelow Aerospace’s technology.
An inflatable space habitat developed by Bigelow Aerospace was launched in 2016 and is attached to the International Space Station.
Space Florida presently doesn’t have any business with Bigelow Aerospace, said Anna Alexopoulos Farrar , a spokeswoman for Space Florida. Budget Suites of America also doesn’t have locations in Florida.
Bigelow has put money into other races this year. He donated $5.7 million through his companies to support Nevada GOP Gov.-elect Joe Lombardo, the AP reported. He also gave $50,000 to a political committee supporting South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, another possible GOP presidential contender.
A 2017 New York Times investigation found that Bigelow’s company got much of the $22 million allocated for a secretive government program to investigate reports of UFOs from 2007-12. That funding was allocated at the request of Nevada Democrat Harry Reid, a longtime friend of Bigelow’s who was Senate majority leader at the time.
DeSantis cruised to victory over Democratic challenger Charlie Crist with about $60 million to spare in his political committee. On paper, campaign finance law bars using state funds to run for a federal office. But speculation has mounted that DeSantis’ team could find a way to channel the money into a super PAC that would support a presidential bid.
The Federal Election Commission, split on partisan lines, hasn’t aggressively enforced campaign finance laws.
An Orlando Sentinel review of campaign finance records showed DeSantis landed some hefty donations for his reelection effort.
■ Kenneth C. Griffin, $5 million: Griffin is the founder and CEO of the investment firm Citadel LLC, which recently moved its corporate headquarters from Chicago to Miami. Griffin gave $5.8 million when DeSantis first ran for governor in 2018.
■ Walter F. Buckley Jr., $1. 3 million: Buckley is a retired money manager living in North Palm Beach.
■ Liz and Dick Uihlein, $1.2 million: A conservative donor power couple, the Uihleins own a shipping supply company in the Chicago area and gave $84 million to Republicans during the 2022 election cycle, according to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan organization that tracks money in politics.
■ David MacNeil: $1.1 million: MacNeil is the founder and CEO of WeatherTech.
■ Paul T. Jones II, $1 million: A billionaire Palm Beach hedge fund manager, Jones co-founded the Everglades Foundation, which advocates for Everglades preservation and wetlands.
■ Bruce V. R a u n e r : $860,000: Rauner is the former Republican governor of Illinois who has a home in Key Largo.
■ James A. Bowen Jr., $750,000: Bowen is a financier with a home in Naples.