(The Hill) — Space entrepreneur Robert Bigelow donated $10 million to the reelection campaign of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday, according to the Friends of Ron DeSantis committee.
Bigelow, the founder of Budget Suites of America, has also invested in other projects including Bigelow Aerospace and National Institute for Discovery Science.
The entrepreneur garnered attention after telling a “60 Minutes” host that he was “absolutely convinced” after she asked if he believed in aliens. Bigelow told the show that he believes aliens are “right under people’s noses” on Earth.
Bigelow is a conservative Republican who previously offered words of support for former President Trump, according to The New York Times. He had also previously pledged to award large prizes to anyone who could provide evidence of an afterlife.
Bigelow sent the DeSantis campaign its largest contribution thus far on July 7, NBC News first reported.
DeSantis is expected to run in the 2024 Republican presidential primary and is considered a front-runner alongside former President Trump, who said that he had made his decision about another run for the White House in 2024.
DeSantis’s war chest for reelection totals $118 million in donations this year from both small and large donors.