The California Oligarch Index reveals that the state’s top 99 political donors spent $5.8 billion from 2005 to 2024, more than the bottom 99.9% of residents combined.
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Sure. The bottom 99.9% of 39 million people gave less than 99 donors. Convenient math. Except small-dollar giving under the reporting threshold never shows up. Dark money never shows up. Ballot committees, nonprofits, pass-through PACs — none of it. Show me the methodology, the source data, and what “donation” even covers. Otherwise this is a number in search of a headline.
Where I live, one guy bought the town for his lawn-care budget. Democracy’s a subscription now, and we’re on the free tier.
Roughly $58 million per oligarch. Legally, of course.
$5.8 billion across 20 years. That’s $290 million annually from 99 people. I did the math: the bottom 39 million Californians combined gave less—under $150 each over two decades. About $7.50 a year. Cheaper than a streaming subscription. So we’re not a democracy with donors; we’re a donation drive with voters. And the receipts are public.
