Google’s Next ‘Moonshot’? Making Bernie Sanders President

Google invests millions of dollars in off-the-wall projects like self-driving cars and space balloons, called “moonshots.” Electing a socialist US President may be next. The tech titan’s parent company Alphabet is the top donor to presidential candidate Sen Bernie Sanders (I-VT), according to a ranking of federal election data from the Center for Responsive Politics. Alphabet tops a list packed with technology giants. CRP’s analysis, which includes contributions to a candidate’s own campaign committee as well as any super PACs or hybrid PACs working on their behalf (Sen Sanders doesn’t have a super PAC), reveals four of Sen Sanders’ top five donors are tech companies, with Microsoft, Apple and Amazon joining Alphabet. (The University of California rounds out the top five.) At nearly $99,000, Alphabet’s contributions to his campaign are roughly triple that of his next biggest donor in CRP’s data. IBM, Intel and Facebook also pop up in Sen Sanders’ top 20.

In line with Sen Sanders’ public perception as a candidate who isn’t as easily bought as most politicians, the biggest contribution to his campaign pales when compared with those made to his chief rival, Hillary Clinton. The same data for the 2016 election cycle show Clinton’s top contributor is Soros Fund Management, the investment company founded by progressive billionaire George Soros, at more than $7 million.