The private Audubon Place in New Orleans was the site of much activity Monday night as Donald “Boysie” Bollinger hosted a $3,300-a-person fundraiser for former President Donald Trump.
The event at Bollinger's home in Uptown New Orleans raised about $5 million, which met a revised fundraising goal after turnout proved higher than anticipated. Originally, Bollinger predicted the fundraiser for Trump's latest presidential bid would net about $2 million.
Bollinger attributed the large crowd to public upset over Trump's 34 criminal convictions last month. The money raised is expected to go toward Trump's campaign and his $80 million in legal fees.
But who is Bollinger, the event's host? Here are few things to know.
He is CEO of Bollinger Enterprises.
Bollinger, 74, is chairman and CEO of Bollinger Enterprises, a single-family New Orleans investment office that manages his family's wealth. He is also the former chairman of Bollinger Shipyards, which his father, Donald G. Bollinger, founded. The company has 13 shipyards and 40 drydocks in Louisiana and Texas. Bollinger passed down the role of president and CEO to his nephew.
He is a longtime GOP megadonor.
The Lockport native helped spearhead Louisiana fundraising for Trump’s campaign in 2016 as a financial co-chair. Between 2017 and 2020, Bollinger donated $765,000 to Trump and the Republican Party.
Bollinger had previously signed on to help Jeb Bush raise money for his presidential campaign, before the former Florida governor suspended his run that February.
Bollinger was also Louisiana’s chairman for the presidential campaigns of George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. and Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah. He is an avid supporter and donor of current U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, and U.S. Rep. And House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson.
He served as finance chairman of Louisiana’s Republican Party three times, and as a delegate to every Republican National Convention since 1976.
So far in the 2024 election cycle, Bollinger Enterprises has donated at least $148,524 to Republican congressional candidates, according to Open Secrets data. The company also donated $100,000 to Make America Great Again Inc., $13,572 to Donald Trump and $10,000 to Trump’s leadership PAC, Save America, during this year’s election cycle.
He has backed Democratic candidates.
In 2014, he advocated for the reelection of former U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Louisiana Democrat. Despite his conservative views and traditional Republican support, Bollinger said at the time “Louisiana can't afford to lose Mary Landrieu.” She lost reelection, but the Federal Election Commission tracked $11,960 listed under “Bollinger Shipyards” that went toward Friends of Mary Landrieu Inc., the former senator's political action committee.
Bollinger and his various companies have also donated to a slew of Democrats at the local and state level, including to former Mayor Ray Nagin and current Mayor LaToya Cantrell in New Orleans, according to campaign finance reports.
He's in the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame.
Bollinger is a 2016 inductee to the Hall of Fame, which has since 1993 inducted 243 individuals who have contributed to Louisiana politics.
Editor's Note, 06/26/24: This story has been corrected to remove former Gov. Mike Foster, a former Democrat who ran for governor as a Republican, to the list of Democrats Bollinger has donated to.