Scandal-scarred Texas attorney general Ken Paxton drew limited support from the billionaire class in his primary challenge.Getty ImagesTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton entered the race to oust U.S. Sen. John Cornyn as a favorite of the state’s MAGA base—but not of billionaires. Though Paxton—who boasts that he has “always been a loyal supporter of President Trump”—mustered enough popular support to win the Republican nomination in the May 26 runoff election with over 63% of the vote, he lagged far behind his incumbent opponent when it came to support from the three-comma club. As AG, right-wing firebrand Paxton championed such legal causes as overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election, increasing religious influence in public schools and aggressively enforcing the state’s abortion ban. The Texas state House impeached Paxton on bribery and misconduct charges in 2023, but he was later acquitted by the state Senate. Amid the backlash to these positions and the misconduct charges, the main pro-Paxton super PAC, Lone Star Liberty, raised less than $10 million since it began fundraising in April 2025. By contrast, the pro-Cornyn super PAC, with the backing of at least 14 billionaires, raised more than three times that amount over the same period. Still, Paxton managed to win over the backing of at least four billionaires as of May 6, according to the latest available election data. Three of Paxton’s billionaire backers were Texas-native tycoons with a history of funding right-wing candidates in the state, one of whom died after his donation. The fourth was a young New York-based tech founder who was born in California and raised in Lebanon. None of the donors responded to Forbes’ requests for comment.Paxton is set to face Democratic nominee James Talarico in the November general election, a race expected to attract a fresh wave of billionaire money on both sides. Talarico, for his part, benefited from primary campaign support of at least seven billionaires. Here are all Ken Paxton’s billionaire supporters so far:Darwin Deason (deceased)Donations to Paxton Groups: $217,000Net Worth: $1.3 billionSource of Wealth: SoftwareDeason, who died in December 2025, made his riches as a cofounder of IT firm Affiliated Computer Services, which sold to Xerox in 2010 for more than $6 billion. He was an early backer of President Trump, contributing nearly half a million dollars to a pro-Trump joint fundraising committee in 2016. A major donor in Texas politics, Dallas-based Deason had already given over $300,000 to Paxton’s various attorney general campaigns since 2014. In this election cycle, he contributed $210,000 to Lone Star Liberty and an additional $7,000 to the candidate’s main committee before his death.Dan and Staci WilksDonations to Paxton Groups: $14,000Net Worth: $2.3 billionSource of Wealth: Natural gasWilks and his brother, Farris, have made big names as political donors, supporting conservative politicians and groups both in their home state of Texas and nationally. The brothers got their start as fracking magnates who sold their business in 2011 to a Singapore-based investment firm for over $3 billion. Dan has historically supported Paxton, totaling over $400,000 in contributions to the candidate’s attorney general runs. He and his wife, Staci, each donated $7,000 last July to Paxton’s Senate campaign. Kenny and Lisa TrouttDonations to Paxton Groups: $14,000Net Worth: $1.7 billionSource of Wealth: Telecom Troutt made his fortune as founder of the long-distance telephone company Excel Communications. An avid horse racing enthusiast and Republican megadonor, he had already given over half a million dollars to Paxton’s campaigns for state attorney general. He was also one of the top billionaire backers of Trump in 2024, and he reportedly hosted a fundraiser the previous year for the then-presidential candidate that Paxton attended. Troutt and his wife, Lisa, each donated $7,000 to Paxton’s main campaign committee. Tarek MansourDonations to Paxton Groups: $7,000Net Worth: $2.6 billionSource of Wealth: Prediction marketsThe Lebanese-American CEO and cofounder of New York-based Kalshi made history in 2024 when a landmark court case paved the way for Americans to use his prediction market platform to place bets on political outcomes. The MIT grad’s personal political contributions have been less predictable. In addition to his $7,000 donation last June to Paxton’s Senate run, he has given tens of thousands to the national Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. As Texas attorney general, Paxton declined to join the coalition of 38 state attorneys general suing for greater state regulation of prediction markets. In August 2025, Paxton was one of four state attorneys general who did not sign on to a letter urging then-U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to crack down on illegal offshore gaming operations. MORE FROM FORBESForbesThe Billionaires Backing The Anti-Billionaire Democrat Running For U.S. SenateBy Andrew BalabanForbesTrump Allies Suggest Hunter Biden Could Benefit From Trump’s $1.8 Billion FundBy Alison DurkeeForbesTrump’s Tax Immunity Could Save Him More Than $600 MillionBy Dan AlexanderForbesHow Much Graham Platner, Maine’s Oyster-Farming Senate Candidate, Is WorthBy Kyle Khan-Mullins