REVEALED: Swiss-born billionaire who became mega-donor of 'dark money' to Democratic causes may have broken the law because he's 'NOT a US citizen or resident', lawsuit claims

  • Suit accuses Swiss-born billionaire Hansjorg Wyss of illegal political donations
  • Wyss is a major donor to groups that fund a variety of liberal causes
  • Foreign nationals can't donate to candidates, but can support advocacy groups
  • Lawsuit from watchdog group challenges that distinction, urging FEC probe
  • Wyss has estimated fortune of $5.1B and is a bidder for the Chelsea football club
  • His non-profits insist they only donate to causes, and don't support candidates 

A Swiss-born billionaire who funneled hundreds of millions to left-leaning US groups may have violated bans against political donations by foreign nationals, according to a lawsuit.

Hansjorg Wyss, who has an estimated net worth of $5.1 billion and in lives in Wyoming, has become a major donor to liberal groups in recent years, but remains tight-lipped about his citizenship status.

Foreign nationals who don't hold US green cards are barred from making direct donations to candidates for office or political action committees, but they are are allowed to contribute to advocacy groups that seek to sway public policy.

In recently filed lawsuit, watchdog group Americans for Public Trust challenged that distinction, accusing the Federal Election Commission of acting too slowly on a complaint it filed against Wyss in May 2021.

Hansjorg Wyss, who has an estimated net worth of $5.1 billion and in lives in Wyoming, has become a major donor to liberal groups, but remains tight-lipped about his citizenship status

Hansjorg Wyss, who has an estimated net worth of $5.1 billion and in lives in Wyoming, has become a major donor to liberal groups, but remains tight-lipped about his citizenship status

Former Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg (left) is seen with philanthropist Hansjorg Wyss at a 2015 benefit

Former Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg (left) is seen with philanthropist Hansjorg Wyss at a 2015 benefit

The lawsuit filed in US district court for Washington DC cites media interviews given by Wyss and a regulatory filing indicating that he is not a US citizen, and argues that the FEC needs to investigate whether his donations violate election laws.

'Americans for Public Trust is suing the FEC for failing to investigate foreign money in our elections,' Caitlin Sutherland executive director of Americans for Public Trust, told The Hill

'Mr. Wyss, who is barred from directly or indirectly influencing our elections, has done just that by potentially funneling hundreds of millions of dollars through the Arabella Advisors network to benefit liberal and left-wing causes,' she added.

'Until the FEC takes action, we won't know the full extent of his foreign interference in our electoral process.' 

Spokespersons for Wyss have repeatedly insisted that his donations are permissible, and go only toward causes he believes in, rather than supporting political candidates.  

Wyss, 86, made headlines recently as part of a joint bid to take over British Premier League team Chelsea from sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

He also put together a failed takeover bid last year to buy Tribune Publishing, the company behind the Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News, and numerous other US newspapers.

Wyss is a native of Switzerland who now lives in Wilson, Wyoming, where his property holdings include this $3.75 million mansion, public records show

Wyss is a native of Switzerland who now lives in Wilson, Wyoming, where his property holdings include this $3.75 million mansion, public records show

A New York Times article last year noted that Wyss had 'quietly become one of the most important donors to left-leaning advocacy groups and an increasingly influential force among Democrats.' 

However, questions have long swirled regarding Wyss' citizenship status. In a 2014 speech, he said he carried only a Swiss passport and did not have a US green card, according to Swiss outlet Bick

As well, his sister Hedi Wyss wrote in a 2014 book about her brother that he 'he never applied for citizenship' in the US, according to RealClearPolitics

Wyss' sister Hedi Wyss wrote in a 2014 book about her brother that he 'he never applied for citizenship' in the US

Wyss' sister Hedi Wyss wrote in a 2014 book about her brother that he 'he never applied for citizenship' in the US

'What was important for him was to find out that he could exert influence through his foundations,' she added. 

The Americans for Public Trust lawsuit cited a 2021 Securities and Exchange Commission filing in which Wyss listed his citizenship as a 'citizen of Switzerland'.

It also quoted from an interview Wyss gave Bick in 2021, in which he said that he 'can't' donate to American political candidates.

The suit alleges that Wyss used his two nonprofit organizations, the Wyss Foundation and the Berger Action Fund, to funnel millions to the Sixteen Thirty Fund and the New Venture Fund.

The recipients of the funds were so-called dark money groups that fund liberal causes through advocacy groups including The Hub Project and Demand Justice, according to the suit. 

The suit alleges that if some of the funds went to campaigns opposing or supporting election candidates, Wyss could be in violation of federal election laws. 

According to the Times, the Wyss' two non-profits from 2016 to 2020 donated $208 million to 'a wide array of groups that backed progressive causes and helped Democrats in their efforts to win the White House and control of Congress.' 

Hansjorg Wyss is seen with Roz Zander and Michael Bloomberg in 2015. A lawsuit alleges that his hundreds of millions in donations to liberal groups violated elections laws

Hansjorg Wyss is seen with Roz Zander and Michael Bloomberg in 2015. A lawsuit alleges that his hundreds of millions in donations to liberal groups violated elections laws

A native of Switzerland who now lives in Wilson, Wyoming, Wyss (second from right) first came to America as an exchange student in 1958

A native of Switzerland who now lives in Wilson, Wyoming, Wyss (second from right) first came to America as an exchange student in 1958

Wyss dismissed the report in an interview with Bick, calling the Times reporter 'a well-known conservative editor who keeps writing fact-less articles.' 

Hansjorg Wyss: The low-profile Swiss billionaire who became a force in US politics 

Born in the Swiss capital of Bern in 1935, Wyss was raised in an apartment with his two sisters. 

He received a master's degree in civil and structural engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich in 1959 before going on to earn an MBA from Harvard six years later. 

After spells in textile engineering - including in different roles for car manufacturer Chrysler in Pakistan, Turkey and the Philippines - he worked in the steel industry and ran a side business selling planes. 

Through that side focus, Wyss met a surgeon who had co-founded Synthes, a medical device manufacturer. Spotting an opportunity, the Swiss founded and became president of Synthes USA in 1977.  

He was Synthes' worldwide CEO and chairman until his resignation as CEO in 2007, and was company chairman until Johnson & Johnson - the medical company which developed a Covid vaccine - acquired the company five years later for $19.7 billion. 

In 2008, he donated $125 million to Harvard University, in what was then the largest donation in its history. 

But he has generated controversy for his funding of groups looking to exert behind-the-scenes influence on American politics. 

These include the Hub Project, which seeks to 'dramatically shift the public debate and policy positions of core decision makers' by influencing media and public opinion in a 'progressive' direction. 

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The Wyss Foundation and the Berger Action Fund did not immediately respond to inquiries from DailyMail.com on Tuesday.

However, a spokesperson for the non-profits told The Hill in a statement that the two organizations 'expressly prohibit their grant recipients from using funding from the organizations to support or oppose political candidates or parties or to engage in partisan voter registration and get out the vote efforts.' 

A native of Switzerland who now lives in Wilson, Wyoming, Wyss first came to America as an exchange student in 1958.

He later returned to attend the Harvard Business School, from which he graduated in 1965. 

In 1977, Wyss founded Synthes USA, a medical device manufacturer that makes implants to mend bone fractures.

He sold the company to Johnson & Johnson in 2012 in a deal worth $19.7 billion, but still holds stakes in biotech firms NovoCure and Molecular Partners.

Previously, several former Synthes executives were jailed after the firm's use of an untested medical procedure led to the deaths of three people. 

Wyss was not charged or named by prosecutors, but an indictment made reference to the 'CEO of Synthes' - a position he held at the time. 

Forbes considers Wyss as 'among the most philanthropic people in the world', and he has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to environmental charities and universities.      

In 2013, he signed The Giving Pledge, thereby agreeing to give away the majority of his fortune. Other moguls to have signed the pledge include Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Warren Buffett.

In 2008, he donated $125 million to Harvard University, in what was then the largest donation in its history. 

But he has generated controversy for his funding of groups looking to exert behind-the-scenes influence on American politics. 

These include the Hub Project, which seeks to 'dramatically shift the public debate and policy positions of core decision makers' by influencing media and public opinion in a 'progressive' direction. 

Last year, watchdog group Americans for Public Trust first called for a federal investigation into the Hub Project over claims it was not officially registered as a political committee to avoid oversight. 

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