The founder of WhatsApp, Ukrainian-born Jewish inventor, Jan Koum, donated a record-breaking $2 million to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) campaign in support of pro-Israel candidates, media reported.
The massive donation was made in June and revealed earlier this week in a release by the Federal Election Commission.
46-year-old Jan Koum’s donation to the AIPAC-allied United Democracy Project (UDP) Super PAC was among the largest the organization has ever received, surpassing contributions by billionaires Paul Singer and Bernie Marcus, as well as Israeli-American Democratic donor Haim Saban.
Koum, whose net worth is estimated at between $9.8-$13.7 billion doubled the previous high donations to AIPAC’s United Democracy Project Super PAC. His support for Zionist causes does not end there.
From 2019 to 2020, Koum is said to have donated $140 million in gifts to about 70 pro-Israel charities working in the United States.
The revelation of Koum’s donation to AIPAC comes as warnings of the threat to the Democratic Party from powerful pro-Israel lobby groups that have been issued in the wake of recent victories in the US primary.
AIPAC’s United Democracy Project has so far spent about $21 million on Democratic primary campaigns aimed at supporting pro-Israel candidates running for Congress, often against candidates who have been critical of Israel.
The pro-Israel lobby scored its latest victory this week when the candidate it supported won the Maryland primaries for the fourth congressional district. Super PAC has spent nearly $6 million supporting Glenn Ivey on the more progressive Donna Edwards.
