MADISON, Wis. – A right-wing, big-tech contemporary of Elon Musk, Scott Bannister, has opened up his checkbook in solidarity with the handful of MAGA billionaires who have, according to the last publicly available information, poured more than $35 million into an unprecedented, blatant effort to buy a Wisconsin government that will serve their interests.
Media reports, based on campaign finance filings, are highlighting how a front group for Bannister is doling out over $13 million in Wisconsin, including over $9 million in support of the gubernatorial bid of MAGA Congressman Tom Tiffany and nearly $4 million to boost the electoral bids of right-wing state legislators.
“This is yet another example of the ultra-rich and big tech industry attempting to buy a Wisconsin state government that benefits them instead of everyday Wisconsinites,” said Mike Browne, deputy director of A Better Wisconsin Together.
Reporting from Wisconsin Public Radio notes that Bannister is a contemporary of Elon Musk, who famously flamed out in his attempt to buy a seat on the Wisconsin State Supreme Court for his favored MAGA aligned candidate in 2025:
“According to Fox News and other media outlets, Libertarian Scott Banister, who invested in PayPal, Uber and Elon Musk’s SpaceX, vowed in September to donate $40 million to Make Liberty Win PAC.”
Bannister’s multi-million dollar bid to buy a MAGA Wisconsin government comes as out-of-state billionaires Richard and Elizabeth Uihlien, along with Wisconsin’s richest person Diane Hendricks, have funneled more than $10 million into support for big tech ally Rep. Tom Tiffany’s campaign for governor. That number is expected to rise even higher following next week’s Sept. 30th reporting deadline for campaign finance reports.
The multi-million dollar spigot for Tiffany started pouring in less than a year after he voted to increase costs on everyday Wisconsinites in order to fund tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy.
“State government should be a reflection of the people it represents, not the highest bidder,” Browne added. “But unfortunately, pay-to-play style politics is becoming the GOP and the Tom Tiffany way.”
