Timothy Mellon: US $130 Million Donor During Shutdown 2025
Timothy Mellon is an American businessman, philanthropist, and investor. He is the grandson of the 42nd United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Andrew Mellon. He is heir to the Mellon banking fortune. He is also known for being a major donor to the Republican Party.
His Early Life
He was born on July 22, 1942, in Pittsburgh. He was born into an affluent family. He grew up in his Virginia mansion. He did his schooling at The Fenn School in Concord, Massachusetts, and Milton Academy in Milton, Massachusetts.
In 1964, he did his graduation in political science from Yale University. He then enrolled in Yale Law School; however, he dropped out after three days. Later, he enrolled in the same university and completed his post-graduation in 1966.
Where Does Timothy Mellon Live Now?
As of 2025, Timothy Mellon lives in Wyoming. Reportedly, he lives on a ranch in Wyoming. He tries to remain away from the limelight. However, he has not shared his exact location publicly.
How old is Timothy Mellon?
He was born in 1942. As of 2025, he is 83 years old.
What Does Timothy Mellon Do?
Timothy Mellon is a businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He owns various companies. He is also known for his donations to the political parties.
Who Are His Parents & Siblings?
His father, Paul Mellon, is a businessman, corporate investor, racehorse owner/breeder, and philanthropist. His mother’s name is Mary Conover Brown, who died in 1946. His stepmother is Rachel Lambert Lloyd.
His grandfather, Andrew Mellon, was a famous banker, businessman, industrialist, philanthropist, art collector, and politician. He served as the 42nd United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom and 49th United States Secretary of the Treasury.
Who Is Timothy Mellon Married To?
As of 2025, he has been married three times. His first marriage was to Susan Crawford Tracy. They got married on June 9, 1963. They lived in Guilford, Connecticut. After around two decades, they got divorced in the early 1980s.
What Companies Does Timothy Mellon Own?
After completing his graduation, he worked at Yale Computer Center for around three years. in the 1960s, he started a software company. He sold software for IBM computers there. In 1977, he worked as the chief financer of Guilford Transportation Industries (GTI).
The company later purchased Maine Central Railroad from U.S. Filter Corporation in 1981, Boston & Maine in 1983, and Delaware & Hudson Railroads in 1984. GTI purchased Pan American World Airways in 1998.
Timothy purchased Goodspeed Airport in East Haddam, Connecticut, for $2.33 million in 1999. He sold the same to New England Airport Associates, LLC for $891,000 in 2020. He is the chairman of Pan Am Systems, New Hampshire. The company deals in transportation, railroads, and logistics.
Apart from Pan Am Systems, Timothy Mellon owns a few other private firms. He has invested in businesses related to railroad operations, transportation services, and infrastructure projects. He also owns property in Wyoming.
How Did Timothy Mellon Make His Money?
He owns various businesses. He has made several investments, and he also has a share in his family property.
How Rich Is Timothy Mellon?
He is a billionaire. In June 2024, Forbes mentioned his net worth at $14.1 billion.
Timothy Mellon and the Amelia Earhart Search
In 2012, Timothy Mellon donated more than $1 million to a nonprofit group named The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR). The nonprofit group searches for historic airplanes. He helped them find Amelia Earhart’s lost plane.
In 2013, Mellon sued TIGHAR, claiming that the organization had fooled him. He said that the group had asked for his donation to search for the plane, even though he believed the plane had already been found in 2010, before he gave them money.
When the case went to the court in 2014, U.S. District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl ruled in favor of TIGHAR. Mellon had willingly donated money to support the search for the plane. Even though Mellon believed the plane had already been found, the court stated that his opinion and belief were not enough to prove TIGHAR wrong.
The judge said that there was no evidence that TIGHAR had falsely claimed they had not found the plane. They were continuing their search in hopes of finding clear proof, which is exactly what they told Mellon before he donated.
Mellon then appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, but the higher court agreed with the lower court. The appeals court said that because there was no false claim or deceit, Mellon’s case could not continue.
Timothy Mellon Autobiography
Timothy Mellon holds strong political opinions. He is a Republican and a supporter of Donald Trump. Earlier, he supported liberal politicians and causes. He once voted for President Lyndon B. Johnson, George McGovern, and Jimmy Carter. Later, he shifted his views and became a Republican during Ronald Reagan’s presidency. ((The Washington Post))
Mellon is anti-tax and anti-union. He has criticized teacher unions. Several times, he has opposed a few academic programs, like women’s studies, LGBT studies, and African American studies in colleges. He used to listen to various conservative radio shows, including Rush Limbaugh.
In 2015, he published a self-written autobiography called “panam.captain.” In it, he shared his views on various political parties. Some of his statements in the autobiography made news headlines. He mentioned that social safety net programs like welfare and government assistance as a form of control, calling them “slavery Redux.”
He said that people who rely on these programs are “slaves of a new master, Uncle Sam.” He wrote about the impact of social programs on Black Americans. He said that some became “more belligerent” after these programs were introduced in the 1960s and 70s. He received criticism for such comments, but he never apologized for them.
US $130 Million to Pay Troops During Shutdown 2025
In 2025, he made headlines for donating $130 million to support Donald Trump’s political efforts. He also helped pay U.S. soldiers during the government shutdown. This made him one of the largest individual donors in modern U.S. history.
It was in October 2025 when the U.S. government was shut down due to the lack of spending authorization by Congress.
He provided the money so the military troops would get their salaries and benefits. He followed rules that allow federal agencies to accept “gifts” for public purposes.
He received mixed reactions for his act. Some consider it a generous act, whereas some question how he could donate to a government organization.
