Wall Street opens wallets wide for ‘Trump alternative’ Nikki Haley at $500K fundraiser

Former
U.S.
ambassador
to
the
United
Nations

Nikki
Haley
raised
over
$500,000
at
a
massive
fundraising
event
in
New
York
Monday
attended
by
top
Wall
Street
financiers,
according
to
people
familiar
with
the
matter.

The
sheer
amount
of
money
Haley
raised
reflects
the
formidable
and
financially
viable
campaign she
is
creating.
At
this
rate,
Haley’s
campaign
could
be
well
positioned
to
compete
against
former
President

Donald
Trump,
first
in
the
Iowa
caucuses,
and
then
the
New
Hampshire
and
South
Carolina
primaries.

The
venue
for
this
week’s
fundraiser
was
the
luxurious
Upper
West
Side
penthouse
of
former


Facebook
executive
Campbell
Brown
and
Dan
Senor,
chief
public
affairs
officer
at
the
hedge
fund

Elliot
Investment
Management,
according
to
people
familiar
with
the
matter.
The
address
was
only
provided
to
guests
who
RSVP’d.

Several
co-hosts
listed
on
the
invitation
also
had
ties
to
Elliot
Management
founder
and
longtime
Republican
donor

Paul
Singer,
including
Annie
Dickerson,
a
“close
confidante”
of
Singer’s
for
years, according
to
Politico.
Steve
Cohen,
a
partner
and
the
head
of
trading
at
Elliot
Investment
Management,
was
also
there.

Singer
did
not
attend,
one
of
the
people
explained.
But
plenty
of
other
Wall
Street
heavyweights
did.

Cliff
Asness,
a
co-founder
of
investment
firm
AQR
Capital
Management,
Kristin
Lemkau,
CEO
of
JPMorgan
Chase’s
wealth
management
division,
Robert
Rosenkranz,
head
of
Delphi
Capital
Management
and
Ray
Chambers,
a
philanthropist
who
once
had
a
stake
in
the
NHL’s

New
Jersey
Devils
were
all
spotted.

Lemkau
attended
just
days
after
her
boss,
JPMorgan
CEO

Jamie
Dimon,
told
a
room
full
of
business
leaders
at
the
New
York
Times
DealBook
conference
to
support
Haley.

Asness
and
Brown
addressed
the
group
of
donors,
with
the
former
Facebook
executive
leading
the
question
and
answer
session
featuring
Haley,
one
of
the
people
explained.

Eric
Levine,
a
lawyer
and
co-host,
told
CNBC
the
fundraiser
was
a
“huge
success.”

“It
was
very
enthusiastic,”
he
added.
“Nobody
is
showing
up
and
giving
money
because
they’re
not
convinced”
that
Haley
is
the
right
candidate
to
lead
the
Republican
Party.

Haley
addressed
the
crowd
of
donors
with
points
about
supporting
Israel
in
their
war
with
Hamas
and
the
importance
of
fighting
back
against
antisemitism,
among
other
topics,
Levine
said.

The
125-person
party
is
considered
Haley’s
most
successful
fundraiser
since
she

launched
her
campaign
for
president
last
February,
one
of
the
people
explained.

Attendees
were
asked
to
give
between
$3,300
and
$16,600
per
person
to
Team
Stand
for
America,
a
joint
fundraising
committee
benefiting
her
campaign,
according
to
the
invitation.

These
people
declined
to
be
named
in
order
to
speak
freely
about
a
private
event.

A
spokesman
for
Elliot
did
not
return
requests
for
comment.
Chambers,
Rosenkranz,
a
representative
for
for
JPMorgan
and
a
spokeswoman
for
AQR
did
not
return
requests
for
comment.

A
spokeswoman
for
the
Haley
campaign
did
not
return
requests
for
comment.

Haley’s
smashing
success
this
week
in
New
York
reflects
growing
interest
in
her
campaign
from
wealthy
donors
looking
for
an
alternative
to
Trump.
Haley
is
trailing
Trump
nationally
by
around
50
percentage
points,
according
to
a
Real
Clear
Politics
polling
average.

Home
Depot
co-founder

Ken
Langone
is
also
expected
to
meet
with
Haley
while
she
is
in
New
York,
as
he
consider
whether
to
back
her
campaign.
Democratic
megadonor

Reid
Hoffman
recently
gave
$250,000
to
a
pro-Haley
super
PAC,
according
to
his
longtime
political
advisor.