Fancy Hollywood Types, Facebook Founders Give Rahm Emanuel Over $11 Million in Campaign Cash

back on the ballot for the Chicago mayoral race, and as it’s been known, he won’t be hurting for dough — the former White House staffer raked in over $11.8 million in the final months of 2010, besting his main competitor Gery Chico by more than a whopping $9 million, Forbes reports. But where did his health coffers come from? That’s where it gets interesting.

published late last week, reads like a who’s who of glammy businesspeople. Trumped up by pals of his brother Ari — you know, the fancy Hollywood agent who inspired Jeremy Piven’s Entourage character — Rahm’s list of supporters includes 14 billionaires, Steve Jobs, tinseltown power-movers Steven Spielberg, Aaron Sorkin and David Geffen and, you know, Donald Trump. In other words — a lot of people who totally do not live in Chicago!

Carol Moseley Braun, who is working with a mere $450,000.

here.

Posted at January 26, 2011, 7:29 am

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ADDENDUM

Emanuel’s billionaire backers include:

Donald Trump, who kicked in $50,000

Joe Mansueto

Steven Spielberg, who gave $75,000

Haim Saban, Emanuel’s biggest supporter; he and his wife gave $500,000 between them

Steve Jobs, Apple CEO (his wife Laurene also donated)

David Geffen

Ken Griffin, who, along with his wife, gave $200,000

Jay and Nicholas

Eli Broad

Mortimer Zuckerman

Nelson Peltz, chairman of fast food chains Wendy’s and Arby’s

Ron Perelman

Marc Lasry

Emanuel’s other big-name backers include two prominent social media billionaires-in-the-making. Chicago-based Eric Lefkofsky, co-founder and 30% owner of web coupon phenomenon Groupon, gave $100,000 via his private equity firm Blue Media LLC. Facebook co-founder Sean Parker also donated $100,000 – the same amount he gave towards his last high-profile political cause, California’s marijuana legalization bill, Prop 19. Emanuel seems to have other friends at Facebook: Sheryl Sandberg, the website COO, gave $25,000. And, in a surreal but telling display of Emanuel’s clout from Silicon Valley to Hollywood, Facebook frenemy Aaron Sorkin — the screenwriter who fictionalized the site’s founding for the big screen — gave $10,000.