In a surprising turn of events, 81-year-old Timothy Mellon, the scion of one of America's wealthiest families, has emerged as a major figure backing Donald Trump's 2024 election campaign. As the largest donor to the former president in this electoral cycle, Mellon made a staggering $50 million donation on May 31.

Hailing from the prestigious Pittsburgh-based Mellon banking family, Timothy Mellon has also been the biggest contributor to Robert F Kennedy's independent campaign. Despite his immense wealth and influence, Mellon is known for his reclusive nature, purposely shying away from the spotlight and the social circles usually associated with other American billionaires.

Forbes magazine reports that Mellon, a descendant of Irish immigrant Thomas Mellon, who arrived in the US in 1818, is a part of the Mellon family, currently estimated to be worth over $14 billion. The family, which includes Timothy Mellon's grandfather Andrew, a former US treasury secretary, ranks as the 34th richest family in America.

Born in 1942, Timothy Mellon studied city planning at Yale University, where his father was a significant donor. In fact, it was his father who provided the funding to establish the Yale Center for British Art, housing the largest collection of British art outside the United Kingdom.

Displaying his enterprising nature, Mellon formed Guilford Transportation Industries in 1981. The holding company, named after his hometown in Connecticut, swiftly acquired three major railways spanning from Canada to the mid-Atlantic region of the US. During this time, Mellon also developed a passion for flying, accumulating over 11,500 hours in the cockpit.

In addition to his business ventures, Mellon served as a trustee of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for 21 years until stepping down in 2002. Three years later, in 2005, he relocated to Wyoming, where he has resided since, maintaining a low profile and rarely engaging with the media.

Notably, this is not Mellon's first foray into political donations. Prior to his recent support for the Trump campaign, he has consistently contributed to conservative candidates and causes. In 2010, Mellon donated approximately $1.5 million to defend Arizona's controversial anti-immigration bill. More recently, he played a pivotal financial role in Texas Governor Greg Abbott's efforts to construct a wall along the Mexican border, contributing over $53 million to the project in 2021.

Mellon's political views were brought to light in his self-published 2015 memoir, wherein he criticized social safety net programs, terming them "Slavery Redux." He argued that black voters were receiving "freebies" in exchange for their support and claimed that this resulted in them becoming "more belligerent" and "slaves of a new master, Uncle Sam."

While predominantly aligned with conservative candidates, Mellon did make a small donation of $2,700 to progressive New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's 2018 campaign. In a rare interview, Mellon expressed admiration for Donald Trump, applauding his efforts in trade and rebalancing the global balance, particularly with regard to China.

Alongside his political endeavors, Mellon has also shown a passion for historical pursuits, evidenced by his $1 million donation in 2012 to a group dedicated to finding the remains of famous aviator Amelia Earhart. Mellon even joined the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery on an unsuccessful expedition, spending most of his time reading while aboard the ship.

As Timothy Mellon's $50 million contribution propels him to the forefront of Trump's 2024 campaign, speculation and scrutiny over his political motivations and influence remain high. The enigmatic billionaire continues to navigate the realm of politics while maintaining his elusive presence in Wyoming.