Richard Ellis Uihlein ( ; born 1945) and Elizabeth Uihlein are American
billionaire
A billionaire is a person with a net worth of at least 1,000,000,000, one billion (1,000,000,000, i.e., a thousand million) units of a given currency, usually of a major currency such as the United States dollar, euro, or pound sterling. The ...
businesspeople, founders of
Uline
Uline is a privately held American company which offers shipping and other business supplies. It was founded in 1980 by Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein. It has more than 8,000 employees and is headquartered in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. It ha ...
Richard graduated from Stanford University with a BA in history in 1967. A member of the
Uihlein family
The Uihlein family ( ;) is an American family known for their activities in business and philanthropy. Of German heritage, the family has roots in Wisconsin. Many members of the family are prominent political donors and activists.
Historically, t ...
, he is a descendant of the brewers of Schlitz beer. His great-grandfather was
August Uihlein
August Uihlein (1842–1911) was a German-American brewer, business executive and horse breeder.
Early life
August Uihlein was born Georg Karl August Ühlein in 1842 in Wertheim am Main, Grand Duchy of Baden, which is now in Germany. He had a bro ...
.
Until 1980, Richard Uihlein worked in international sales for
General Binding Corporation
General Binding Corporation (GBC) is an American office supplies manufacturer which makes equipment and supplies for binding, lamination, and other presentation products. The company is part of ACCO Brands. Its headquarters are in Lake Zurich, ...
, a company co-founded by his father,
Edgar Uihlein
Edgar John Uihlein Jr. (October 28, 1916 – May 19, 2005) was an American businessman and the co-founder of General Binding Corporation.
Early life
Uihlein was the son of Edgar John Uihlein Sr. (1877–1956) of Lake Bluff, Illinois, who was a vi ...
. That year, with start-up funds from his father, Uihlein and his wife Elizabeth (Liz) Uihlein founded
Uline
Uline is a privately held American company which offers shipping and other business supplies. It was founded in 1980 by Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein. It has more than 8,000 employees and is headquartered in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. It ha ...
, a shipping supplies company; the couple continue to own the company. The company expanded rapidly and is now one of the largest U.S.
privately held
A privately held company (or simply a private company) is a company whose shares and related rights or obligations are not offered for public subscription or publicly negotiated in the respective listed markets, but rather the company's stock is ...
companies; in 2014, ''Forbes'' estimated a company value of between $700 million and $2 billion. In 2020 Bloomberg estimated their net worth to be around $4 billion.
As of 2020, the company had around 7,000 employees. Liz Uihlein is the company's president;Michelle Ye Hee Lee & Michael Scherer Meet the little-known 'big fish' megadonor setting the tone for GOP primary races ''Washington Post'' (April 29, 2018). the couple's four children are all executives at the company. Previously headquartered in
Waukegan, Illinois
''(Fortress or Trading Post)''
, image_flag =
, image_seal =
, blank_emblem_size = 150
, blank_emblem_type = Logo
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_type1 = State
, subdivisi ...
, the company moved to
Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
Pleasant Prairie is a village in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located in Kenosha County along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan, Pleasant Prairie was home to 21,250 people at the 2020 census. The village is positioned directly south o ...
, in 2010, in return for up to $18.6 million in state incentives. The couple lives in
Lake Forest, Illinois
Lake Forest is a city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 19,367. The city is along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore. Lake Forest ...
; they also have a summer home in
Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin
Manitowish Waters is a town in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 566 in the 2010 census. The unincorporated community Manitowish Waters, is also located within the town.
History
In 1934, at the Little Bohemia Lodge on ...
.
The Uihlein family also owns EAU Holdings, a resort in northern
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
. Richard Uihlein's cousin is
Lynde Bradley Uihlein
Lynde Bradley Uihlein (born 1945) is an American heiress and philanthropist. '' and the couple rarely give interviews. Uihlein has been a Republican donor for decades, and increased his political giving after ''
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
''Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission'', 558 U.S. 310 (2010), was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States regarding campaign finance laws and free speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It wa ...
''. He has been a longtime donor to Republicans who share his ultra-conservative views. Uihlein is a staunch
social
Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not.
Etymology
The word "social" derives from ...
deregulation
Deregulation is the process of removing or reducing state regulations, typically in the economic sphere. It is the repeal of governmental regulation of the economy. It became common in advanced industrial economies in the 1970s and 1980s, as a r ...
. He has a history of supporting
far-right
Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of bein ...
candidates, and has often supported efforts in opposition to gay and transgender rights.
Uihlein spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in the
2011 Wisconsin Senate recall elections
Recall elections for nine Wisconsin state senators were held during the summer of 2011; one was held on July 19, and six on August 9, with two more held on August 16. Voters attempted to put 16 state senators up for recall, eight Democrats and ...
Janus v. AFSCME
''Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 31'', No. 16-1466, 585 U.S. ___ (2018), abbreviated ''Janus v. AFSCME'', was a landmark decision of the US Supreme Court on US labor law, concerning the power of la ...
''. He has supported conservative groups and candidates including
Ted Cruz
Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from ...
,
Roy Moore
Roy Stewart Moore (born February 11, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer, and jurist who served as the 27th and 31st chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama from 2001 to 2003 and again from 2013 to 2017, each time being removed fr ...
,
The Club for Growth
The Club for Growth is a 501(c)(4) conservative organization active in the United States, with an agenda focused on cutting taxes and other economic policy issues. Club for Growth's largest funders are the billionaires Jeff Yass and Richard ...
, and the
Illinois Policy Institute
The Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) is a libertarian nonprofit think tank with offices in Chicago and Springfield. Founded in 2002, it is active in the areas of education policy, pension policy, and state budget issues. IPI advocates for smalle ...
. Uihlein is also a major donor to
Liberty Principles PAC Liberty Principles PAC was a conservative, Illinois-based super PAC (political action committee). The PAC supported political candidates for state and local offices in Illinois who "are committed to the economic liberty policy agenda." The PAC is a ...
, Americas PAC, and Scott Walker. While Uihlein spent $2.6 million in support of Illinois Governor
Bruce Rauner
Bruce Vincent Rauner (; born February 18, 1956) is an American businessman, philanthropist, and politician who served as the 42nd governor of Illinois from 2015 to 2019. Prior to his election, he was the chairman of R8 Capital Partners and cha ...
in his successful
2014 Illinois gubernatorial election
The 2014 Illinois gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, concurrently with the election to Illinois's Class II U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United ...
campaign, Uihlein broke with Rauner after he signed legislation in 2017 that expanded abortion coverage for women on Medicaid, giving millions to
Jeanne Ives
Jeanne M. Ives (née Remmes, born October 4, 1964) is an American politician. A Republican, she is a former member of the Illinois House of Representatives for the 42nd district. She has run for governor of Illinois, and for U.S. Representativ ...
, who challenged Rauner in the 2018 Republican primary.
In the 2014 election cycle, the Uihleins made at least $5 million in political contributions, mostly to right-wing PACs ($1.8 million to Liberty Principles PAC; $670,000 to Americas PAC, and slightly under $500,000 to
Jim DeMint
James Warren DeMint (born September 2, 1951) is an American political advocate, businessman, author, and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from South Carolina and as president of the Heritage Foundation. DeMint is a member ...
's
Senate Conservatives Fund
The Senate Conservatives Fund (SCF) is a United States political action committee (PAC) that supports conservative Republican Party candidates in primaries and general elections. The SCF primarily focuses on supporting United States Senate candida ...
and affiliated super PAC).
The Uihleins gave $22 million in the 2016 election cycle. The
2016 Republican primaries
Presidential primaries and caucuses of the Republican Party took place within all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories between February 1 and June 7, 2016. These elections selected the 2,472 delegates that were se ...
, Uihlein initially supported Walker and
Ted Cruz
Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from ...
; after they both dropped out of the race, Uihlein backed
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of ...
, contributing money to the pro-Trump "
Great America PAC
Great America PAC is a Super PAC that supported Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. It was founded in 2016 by Eric Beach, a political strategist and veteran of presidential campaigns. Beach soon brought on Ed Rollins, a long time Repu ...
" and contributing $500,000 to Trump's inauguration, which he attended. He also donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in f ...
. Liz Uihlein also subsequently became a "mega-donor" to Trump.
From 2016 to 2018, a political action committee funded by the Uihleins gave at least $646,000 to a new network of free newspapers and websites, created by
Brian Timpone
Brian Timpone is an American conservative businessman and former journalist who operates a network of nearly 1,300 conservative local news websites. In 2012, Timpone stated that articles on his websites are partially written by freelancers outsid ...
, that mimic local newspapers but offer
pay-for-play
Pay-to-play, sometimes pay-for-play or P2P, is a phrase used for a variety of situations in which money is exchanged for services or the privilege to engage in certain activities. The common denominator of all forms of pay-to-play is that one mus ...
articles to conservative clients.
ProPublica
ProPublica (), legally Pro Publica, Inc., is a nonprofit organization based in New York City. In 2010, it became the first online news source to win a Pulitzer Prize, for a piece written by one of its journalists''The Guardian'', April 13, 2010 ...
reported that the Uihleins were 1 of 82 households that benefitted from a concession won by Wisconsin senator
Ron Johnson
Ronald Harold Johnson (born April 8, 1955) is an American accountant, businessman, and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Wisconsin, a seat he has held since 2011. A Republican, Johnson was first elected to the U.S. S ...
, to whom they had been large donors.
In the 2018 election cycle, Uihlein dramatically increased his political contributions, making $37.7 million in contributions to outside spending groups (the fourth largest donor to such groups).Patrick Svitek Big bucks — and a big donor — fuel Allen West's bid for Texas GOP chair ''Texas Tribune'' (January 21, 2020). The couple's contributions placed them on the tier of other Republican mega-donors, such as the
Koch family
The Koch family ( ) is an American family engaged in business, best known for their political activities and their control of Koch Industries, the 2nd largest privately owned company in the United States (with 2019 revenues of $115 billion) ...
,
Adelson Adelson is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Edward H. Adelson, American neuroscientist
* Jake Adelson, Australian professional footballer
* Jay Adelson, American Internet entrepreneur
* Merv Adelson, American real estate devel ...
, and
Mercer
Mercer may refer to:
Business
* Mercer (car), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925)
* Mercer (consulting firm), a large human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City
* Mercer (occupation), a merchant or trader, ...
. His contributions include support for many Republican candidates in competitive primary races, such as Ives and
Chris McDaniel
Christopher Brian McDaniel (born June 28, 1971) is an American attorney, talk radio host, and far-right politician who has served in the Mississippi State Senate since 2008.
A member of the Republican Party, McDaniel gained national attention f ...
. Also in 2018, Uihlein gave financial support to Kevin Nicholson, a one time long-shot Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin; eight super PACs funded by Uihlein also expressed support for Nicholson. In 2019–2020, Uihlein gave $250,000 to Allen West in his campaign for the chairmanship of the
Texas Republican Party
The Republican Party of Texas (RPT) is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in the state of Texas. It is currently chaired by Matt Rinaldi, succeeding Allen West who resigned prior to the expiration of his term to run for governo ...
against incumbent
James Dickey
James Lafayette Dickey (February 2, 1923 January 19, 1997) was an American poet and novelist. He was appointed the eighteenth United States Poet Laureate in 1966. He also received the Order of the South award.
Dickey is best known for his ...
.
In the 2020 election cycle, the Uihleins and their company had, by April 2020, contributed $1.5 million to Trump's "
America First Action
The America First Policies Institute (AFPI) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3)
A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3 ...
" super PAC, and $20 million to other Republican groups. From 2015 to 2020, they donated $4.3 million (including $800,000 in October 2020) to
Tea Party Patriots
The Tea Party Patriots is an American conservative political organization founded in 2009 as part of the Tea Party movement. It is known for organizing citizen opposition to the Affordable Care Act during the presidency of Barack Obama, and mo ...
, a group that may have co-sponsored the March to Save America rally that preceded the
2021 United States Capitol attack
On January 6, 2021, following the defeat of then-United States President, U.S. President Donald Trump in the 2020 United States presidential election, 2020 presidential election, a mob of his supporters attacked the United States Capitol, U ...
.
Uihlein was a major financial backer for the rally that preceded the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Uihlein is also the "largest donor behind Women Speak Out a ACseeking to federally outlaw abortion." Uihlein has also donated millions to Restoration PAC, which promotes "all marriage is for one man and one woman for life."
In columns in the company catalog, Liz Uihlein frequently writes on the couple's political views, ranging from "the danger of Chinese competition, the negative health effects of marijuana use and the detriments of the Federal Reserve's low interest rate policy." As of June 10, 2022, Richard Uihlein has contributed $28,095,000 to People Who Play By The Rules PAC.
COVID-19
During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Liz Uihlein declared the pandemic "overhyped" and was an outspoken critic of stay-at-home directives issued to combat the spread of the virus, calling upon Republican members of the
Wisconsin Legislature
The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republ ...
to push to remove Governor
Tony Evers
Anthony Steven Evers (born November 5, 1951) is an American educator and politician serving as the 46th governor of Wisconsin since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as Wisconsin's Superintendent of Public Instruction from 2009 ...
from office over the directive he issued.
In November 2020, the couple announced to the company that they had contracted COVID.