by Will Kessler
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley met with several Wall Street executives in a series of events Tuesday in her bid to be the Republican nominee for president, according to the Financial Times.
Haley attended a small meet-and-greet breakfast in New York where CEO of BlackRock Larry Fink was in attendance, followed by a fundraiser later in the day co-hosted by Gary Cohn, former president of Goldman Sachs, according to the FT. BlackRock has been criticized by conservatives in recent years for its adoption and promotion of Environment, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) policies, which aim to invest in companies based on their commitment to social and environmental causes.
Republican-led states, like Florida and Texas, in opposition to BlackRock’s use of “woke” ESG investment, have pulled their money from the investment firm. Altogether, Republican-led states pulled almost $4.5 billion from the company in 2022.
Some other business leaders have considered lending their support to the candidate, with Ken Griffin, founder of Citadel, considering donating to her campaign, while billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller announced his support on Monday, according to the FT. Haley could receive a bump in donations as other candidates drop out, with financiers looking for alternative candidates to former President Donald Trump, who currently leads in the polls. Billionaire Charles Koch is reportedly planning on backing a non-Trump candidate soon, according to the FT.
Haley has previously met with Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan, in a series of private conversations discussing the global economy. Dimon expressed support for Haley’s views on the economy, particularly on how business and the government can work together to increase prosperity.
Overflow crowd in Dubuque to see @NikkiHaley at @EmmausBibleCo. Less than 2 months until caucus…the momentum is very real and not slowing down! pic.twitter.com/r2qWiA1Zx8
— Hooff Cooksey (@hooffcooksey) November 16, 2023
Fink attended a lavish dinner honoring Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, along with numerous other business executives who expressed their support for doing business in China. The dinner took place after a meeting between Xi and President Joe Biden to discuss relations between the two countries as well as their policies.
Haley had $11.5 million in campaign funds at the end of September and plans to launch an ad campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire at the start of December, costing $10 million, according to the FT.
The Haley campaign did not immediately respond to a request to comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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Will Kessler is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Nikki Haley” by Nikki Haley.
