Mystery donor gives Pentagon $130 million to help pay troops

The Department of Defense (DOD) received an anonymous $130 million donation Thursday that the Pentagon will use to help pay troops as the federal government shutdown drags on. 

“On October 23, 2025, the Department of War accepted an anonymous donation of $130 million under its general gift acceptance authority. The donation was made on the condition that it be used to offset the cost of Service members’ salaries and benefits,” chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told The Hill in an emailed statement Friday.

“We are grateful for this donor’s assistance after Democrats opted to withhold pay from troops,” he added.

It is unclear who donated the money to the department. President Trump said Thursday that a donation came from a "friend.” 

“That’s what I call a patriot,” Trump said at the White House, adding that “he doesn’t really want the recognition.”

The military typically relies on money appropriated by Congress for funding. 

On Thursday, Senate Democrats blocked Sen. Ron Johnson’s (R-Wis.) bill, the Shutdown Fairness Act of 2025, in a 54-45 vote that would have paid active-duty service members and other essential federal workers. Johnson blocked a Democratic bill that would have paid all government employees during the shutdown.

The next payday for troops is slated for Oct. 30. The donation covers just a tiny fraction of what's needed to cover troop pay.

Trump on Oct. 11 directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to pay service members’ midmonth paychecks by utilizing $8 billion in previously appropriated Pentagon funds meant for research, development, test and evaluation.

But that pay cycle cost roughly $6.5 billion, leaving only $1.5 billion for the looming Oct. 31 payday, expected to cost $6 billion to $7 billion, Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told The Hill. That means the administration will need to find roughly $4.5 billion to $5.5 billion to keep money in troops’ wallets at the end of the month. 

Before accepting any donation more than $10,000, DOD authorities have to review the donation with an ethics official to determine that the donor is not “involved in any claims, procurement actions, litigation, or other particular matters involving the Department," according to the Pentagon’s rules. 

“Acceptance Authorities may not accept a gift of services from a foreign government or international organization,” the department said. “They may accept a gift of money, real property, or personal property from a foreign government or international organization only if the gift is not designated for a specific individual.”

Asked if Republicans have an alternative if the troops are not paid by Oct. 31, Johnson said Trump “only has so much latitude” in pulling funding from other areas as he did earlier this month.

“There’s only so many pots of money that he has the authority,” he told reporters. “He’s not a king, you know, he only has so much authority.”