Timothy Mellon Is Donor Who Gave $130 Million to Pay Troops During Shutdown NYT | Top Stories By: Tyler Pager 25 October 2025 at 22:13 Timothy Mellon is a billionaire and a major financial backer of President Trump. © Associated PressTimothy Mellon during a property tour in 1981. A grandson of former Treasury Secretary Andrew W. Mellon, Mr. Mellon was not a prominent Republican donor until President Trump was elected.