The Opportunity Matters Fund is a political action committee that is aligned with Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC). [1] Larry Ellison, the billionaire co-founder of Oracle, is the chief known funder of Opportunity Matters Fund. [2]
The organization focuses on supporting candidates who back school choice, economic freedom, equal opportunity, and government spending on opportunity zones. [3]
Background
Opportunity Matters Fund is a political action committee that supports Republican and conservative political candidates that it says are aligned with an “opportunity agenda.” [4] The super PAC is aligned with U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC). [5]
Larry Ellison, the billionaire co-founder of Oracle, is the chief known funder of Opportunity Matters Fund. [6] As of February 2022, Ellison had given about $20 million in donations to the Opportunity Matters Fund. [7] Ellison has a net worth of $93.3 billion. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index ranked him as the world’s ninth-wealthiest person. [8]
Policy Advocacy
The Opportunity Matters Fund focuses on education choice, economic freedom, and equal opportunity. [9]
The organization says it wants to end generational poverty by teaching financial literacy, providing apprenticeships for students, expanding education options, and increasing government spending on opportunity zones. [10]
Donors
About 75 percent of the funding for Opportunity Matters Fund comes from Larry Ellison. [11] Casino billionaire Steve Wynn is the second-largest donor to Opportunity Matters Fund, Politico reported, having given $1 million. [12]
South Carolina businessman Ben Navarro and wife Kelly Navarro contributed $500,000 to the fund, and described Senator Scott as a “long-time friend.” [13]
Other billionaire donors to the fund have been Apollo private equity CEO Marc Rowan, New Balance chairman Jim Davis, and former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R). [14]
Kenny Troutt, a Dallas-based telecommunications company founder and owner of a Kentucky Derby-winning horse gave $50,000 to Opportunity Matters Fund. Jeff Yass, a suburban Philadelphia-based options trader, gave $30,000 to the fund. [15]
Opportunity Matters Fund has also drawn money from major conservative donor Richard Gaby, a donor to former President Donald Trump and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), as well as Dan Loeb, a financier of LGBT-interest initiatives. [16]