RFK Super Bowl ad that controversially echoed his uncle JFK was paid for by Nicole Shanahan, ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin
- Nicole Shanahan gave $4 million to the super PAC that paid for the $7 million ad
- “There are places of silent support everywhere,” Shanahan said.
- The ad featured the face of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. used on top of an old John F. Kennedy political TV ad
- The ad angered members of the Kennedy family, prompting Robert F. Kennedy to apologize and distance himself from the ad
The surprise Super Bowl political ad featuring Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign. promoted Sunday was funded in part by Nicole Shanahan, the ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin.
Shanahan told the New York Times that she donated $4 million to American Values 2024, the super PAC that paid for the controversial ad that featured Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s face. was used to replace an old John F. Kennedy political TV ad from 1960.
“It seems like a great opportunity to emphasize that he’s running for president,” Shanahan said.
The 30-second ad cost $7 million, according to the super PAC, as several other donors helped cover the costs.
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The ad angered members of the Kennedy family, prompting Robert F. Kennedy to apologize and distance himself from the ad.
“I am so sorry if the Super Bowl ad has caused anyone in my family any pain,” Kennedy wrote on X after the ad aired, reminding his audience that FEC rules prohibit “any involvement or endorsement of my campaign.” prevented.
And despite his apology, the ad is still his most “pinned” post on X.
Amid the controversy, Shanahan told the Times she believed the ad was “a beautiful tribute to this wonderful family.”
Shanahan, who donated to Biden in 2020, is eyeing Kennedy in 2024 and is already giving the maximum donation of $6,600 to his campaign.
She indicated that there were many more interested parties to support Kennedy.
“There are silent points of support everywhere,” she told the Times.
American Values 2024 had $14.8 million available at the end of December, according to the final report, as wealthy Americans quietly donate large dollars to support Kennedy.
Nicole Shanahan and Sergey Brin attend the 2020 Breakthrough Awards Ceremony
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X.
Shanahan is the ex-wife of multi-billionaire Google co-founder Sergey Brin, when the couple quietly divorced in 2023 after the Wall Street Journal reported she had a brief affair with Elon Musk.
News of the affair shocked the billionaire business technology community, as Musk and Brin were old friends.
Musk is currently the richest man in the world with a total fortune of $205 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index. Brin currently sits at number 10 on the list with a total net worth of $126 billion.
Musk denied the story on Twitter in July 2022, claiming there was “nothing romantic” between him and Shanahan.
“This is total BS. Sergey and I are friends and were at a party together last night,” he wrote at the time.
Shanahan also denied the report after Brin’s divorce was finalized for an undisclosed amount.
“Did Elon and I have sex, like it was a moment of passion, and then it was over? No,” she told PEOPLE Magazine in July. ‘Did we have a romantic relationship? No. We weren’t having an affair.’