Response: The following story published on March 16, we stated that Hansjörg Wyss’s money “has helped elect prominent Democrats, including Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in Georgia, Governors Gavin Newsom (California) and Andrew Cuomo (New York), and Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York) and Ilhan Omar (Minnesota).” Marneé Banks, Senior Vice President of Communications & Public Affairs at Global Strategy Group, has informed us that this statement is inaccurate. The Wyss Foundation and Berger Action Fund do not make partisan or political donations but instead provide funding to advocacy groups focused on issues such as conservation, healthcare access, and economic opportunity. – Editors
Hansjörg Wyss, an 89-year-old Swiss medical device mogul, is making waves in American politics through massive dark money donations, despite never becoming a U.S. citizen. His latest involvement is the funding of Families Over Billionaires, a campaign opposing Trump’s 2025 tax plans. Financial disclosures reveal that this initiative is a front for the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a liberal dark money organization that has received $280 million from Wyss’s Berger Action Fund.
Wyss has been a key figure in U.S. Democratic and progressive causes since selling his company, Synthes, to Johnson & Johnson for $19.7 billion in 2012. Through the Berger Action Fund, which he established in 2016, Wyss has funneled over $339 million into liberal nonprofits, media initiatives, and ‘democracy promotion’ efforts worldwide. His financial influence extends to Democratic candidates, super PACs, and advocacy groups tied to climate action, social justice, and election campaigns.
His money has helped elect prominent Democrats, including Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in Georgia, Governors Gavin Newsom (California) and Andrew Cuomo (New York), and Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York) and Ilhan Omar (Minnesota). Additionally, he has backed progressive advocacy groups such as the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and the Center for American Progress.
Wyss’s financial influence isn’t limited to the U.S. His donations have funded political initiatives across Europe, Africa, and Latin America. However, his home country of Switzerland remains untouched by his political spending—likely due to the nation’s strict campaign finance laws.
Despite his extensive political involvement, Wyss has never applied for U.S. citizenship, raising questions about the influence of foreign billionaires in shaping American policies and elections. His growing role in funding left-leaning political movements has drawn comparisons to George Soros, another billionaire known for his globalist philanthropic and political funding.
