Mystery donor gives $130m to US military to pay troops during shutdown

October 26, 2025

A mysterious donation of $130 million to the Pentagon to help pay U.S. troops during the government shutdown has raised ethical concerns. President Trump revealed the donor is a U.S. citizen and supporter of his, while the New York Times identified the benefactor as billionaire Timothy Mellon, heir to a $15 billion fortune. The Pentagon confirmed the donation was accepted under their "general gift acceptance authority" to offset military salaries during the shutdown, which has now entered its 25th day.

Who is affected

1.32 million U.S. service members
Military personnel awaiting their next payday on October 31
Most government workers who have been furloughed or told to work without pay
The Pentagon, which must handle the ethics implications of accepting the donation

What action is being taken

An unnamed donor (identified by the New York Times as Timothy Mellon) is providing $130 million to help pay U.S. troops during the shutdown
The Pentagon is accepting the donation under its "general gift acceptance authority"
The Trump administration previously shifted $8 billion from military research to pay troops last week
Congress is attempting but failing to pass a bill that would keep troops paid during the shutdown

Why it matters

The donation amounts to only about $100 per service member
It raises ethical concerns about anonymous funding of military operations
Senator Chris Coons specifically warned about "troubling questions of whether our own troops are at risk of literally being bought and paid for by foreign powers"
Defense Department rules require donations over $10,000 to undergo ethics review, especially from non-American citizens
The shutdown is approaching one of the longest in U.S. history

What's next

It remains uncertain what will happen on the next military payday on October 31
No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC