Forward America is a political action committee (PAC) founded and financed by billionaire Bernie Marcus shortly before his death. Marcus, co-founder and former longtime CEO of Home Depot, was an advocate of free markets and Israel, and a prolific donor to Republican candidates, including President Donald Trump. As of January 2026, Forward America had not conducted any publicly disclosed activity, but its stated purpose was to support Marcus’s desire to “advance capitalism, free enterprise, and national security.” ¹

Background

Forward America Inc. was founded in September 2024 by Bernie Marcus, a co-founder and former longtime CEO of Home Depot, with $100 million worth of Home Depot stock. Six weeks later, Marcus died of natural causes at age 95. When asked about the group by the New York Times, Marcus’ family only said it was a “personal donation by Bernie.” ¹

According to its registration papers, Forward America’s purpose is to “advance capitalism, free enterprise, and national security.” As of January 2026, the Times reported that Forward America had conducted no publicly disclosed activity. ¹

Bernie Marcus

Forward America founder Bernie Marcus, whose net worth at his death was estimated at $7.4 billion, was a major financial contributor to the Republican Party. During the 2024 election cycle, Marcus donated $1 million to the presidential campaign of Donald Trump; in past cycles, Marcus donated millions to other Republican politicians including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and the late U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ). In the 2018 election cycle, Marcus donated $7.9 million to Republicans, and in the 2016 cycle he donated $7 million to Trump’s first presidential campaign. The New York Times estimated that Marcus donated $74 million to political causes throughout his lifetime. ^{2 1}

In a 2022 interview, Marcus expressed concerns that socialism was rising and capitalism was declining in the United States. Marcus, a Russian Jew, was also a supporter of the State of Israel. His final donation was for $1 million to the United Democracy Project, a campaign fundraising group affiliated with the pro-Israel AIPAC. Marcus also helped establish the Israel Democracy Institute think tank. Upon Marcus’s death in November 2024, then-former President Trump wrote that he was a “legendary entrepreneur and political genius.” ^{2 1 3 4}

Much of Marcus’s remaining fortune was donated to the grantmaking Marcus Foundation, which has donated billions of dollars to charitable causes, including medical research, free-market advocacy, and community building in Georgia. ⁴

1. Corasaniti, Nick. “This Group Wants to Protect Candidates From a ‘Cloud’ of Political Violence.” The New York Times. January 21, 2026. Accessed March 6, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/us/politics/us-political-violence-2026-elections.html.
2. Dunbar, Marina. “Bernie Marcus, Home Depot cofounder and Trump mega-donor, dies aged 95.” The Guardian. November 5, 2024. Accessed March 6, 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/nov/05/bernie-marcus-home-depot-dead/.
3. “Remembering Bernie Marcus.” Home Depot. November 5, 2024. Accessed March 6, 2026. https://corporate.homedepot.com/news/company/remembering-bernie-marcus.
4. Elia-Shalev, Asaf. “Bernie Marcus, Home Depot cofounder who gave to Republicans and Israel, dies at 95.” The Times of Israel. November 6, 2024. Accessed March 6, 2026. https://www.timesofisrael.com/bernie-marcus-home-depot-cofounder-who-gave-to-republicans-and-israel-dies-at-95/.