Founder of eBay and philanthropist. Through the Omidyar Network and Democracy Fund, has donated billions to causes including journalism (The Intercept), democracy, and financial inclusion. Notable anti-Trump donor.
In 2024, Pierre Omidyar donated $16.4 million to 501(c)(4) 'social welfare' electoral-advocacy and lobbying organizations. The Democracy Voice Fund received over $13 million from Omidyar in 2024. He also gave $500,000 to Governors Safeguarding Democracy, which opposes Trump administration policies, and $750,000 to a fund associated with Democratic lawyer Marc Elias.
In 2020, Pierre Omidyar donated $45 million to the Sixteen Thirty Fund's Civic Action Fund project, a voter-turnout initiative focused on 'empower[ing] those typically underrepresented in our democratic process' by ensuring they voted in the 2020 election.
Pierre Omidyar donated $100,000 to NeverTrump PAC in March 2016, stating on Twitter: 'I think Trumpism is dangerous. So I'm personally supporting @NeverTrumpPAC, a rare political contribution during extreme times.' He also signed an open letter from tech entrepreneurs accusing Trump of campaigning 'on anger, bigotry, fear of new ideas and new people.'
Pierre Omidyar launched First Look Media in 2013 as a collaboration with journalists Glenn Greenwald, Jeremy Scahill, and Laura Poitras, promising $250 million in funding. The first publication was The Intercept, launched in February 2014. The initiative focused on adversarial journalism. In 2023, The Intercept restructured as an independent nonprofit.