Reclusive billionaire gifts sprawling estate to RFK Jr's anti-vaxx group

Timothy Mellon, a banking heir and major financial backer of both President Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., donated two sprawling Connecticut properties valued at $5.5 million to the anti-vaccine organization founded by the Health and Human Services secretary.

Property records show the donation, made in August, transferred approximately 300 acres in Lyme, featuring a pool, tennis court, and multiple buildings, to Children's Health Defense, although it's not clear what the New Jersey-based organization intends to do with the property, reported the New York Times.

"In a text message to The New York Times, Mr. Mellon, who cultivates an aura of distance and mystery, said the donation was none of its business and declined to comment," the newspaper reported. "Children’s Health Defense did not respond to requests for comment, nor did its president, Mary Holland."

The properties sit at the confluence of the Connecticut and Eightmile Rivers. Mellon, 83, retained access to parts of the estate, including a family cemetery, and agreed to cover maintenance and improvement costs through a Wyoming-based limited liability company.

The transaction demonstrates the deepening financial and ideological connections between Mellon and Kennedy. During the 2024 election cycle, Mellon contributed $150 million to Trump's super PAC and $25 million to Kennedy's super PAC. He was also reported to be the anonymous donor who gave $130 million to the government during last year's shutdown to pay military salaries.

Children's Health Defense generates between $15 million and $23 million annually in revenue, according to tax filings. The organization, originally called the World Mercury Project when Kennedy joined in 2015, has aggressively promoted vaccine misinformation, including unproven claims linking vaccines to autism.

Kennedy's financial ties to the organization extend beyond his leadership role. He received a salary from the group, was paid by a law firm handling its work, and donated book sale proceeds to it. He and Mellon share publisher Skyhorse Publishing, whose founder sits on Children's Health Defense's board.

Kennedy stepped down as chairman in December 2024 before his confirmation hearings. In his resignation letter, he praised the organization's work "defending the health and rights of children."