Richard Uihlein

Richard Uihlein is the conservative movement's quiet workhorse — a shipping supplies magnate who has given more than $300 million to Republican and right-wing causes over his career, making him and his wife Liz one of the most prolific political donor couples in America, rivaling the Koch network in influence if not in infrastructure. Uihlein was born in 1945 in Milwaukee, heir to the Schlitz brewing fortune (his great-grandfather co-founded Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company). But it wasn't beer that made him a billionaire — it was cardboard boxes. In 1980, Uihlein and his wife Liz founded Uline, a shipping and packaging supplies company, in their basement. Through relentless efficiency and a remarkably aggressive direct-mail catalog (which also features Liz's conservative editorials), Uline grew into a $7 billion-a-year operation with 9,000+ employees, making it one of the largest private companies in America. The Uihleins' political giving is driven by a consistent ideology: anti-union, anti-minimum wage, anti-regulation, pro-business, and culturally conservative. Their Restoration PAC backs exclusively MAGA-aligned candidates. Unlike donors who hedge their bets, the Uihleins pick a side and fund it relentlessly. In 2024, they gave $80 million or more, primarily through Restoration PAC, making them among the top five Republican donors nationally. What makes the Uihleins' giving particularly aligned with their business interests is labor policy. Uline is a manufacturing and distribution company that employs thousands of warehouse and logistics workers. Anti-union legislation, minimum wage opposition, and worker classification rules directly affect Uline's labor costs. Every candidate the Uihleins fund opposes unionization and minimum wage increases — policies that would cost Uline millions if enacted. Uline also holds approximately $200 million in federal supply contracts through the GSA, meaning the Uihleins fund anti-government candidates while their company depends on government purchases. This is a common contradiction among conservative mega-donors: railing against government spending while profiting from it. The Uihleins operate in relative obscurity compared to more famous donors. They don't seek media attention, rarely give interviews, and conduct their influence almost entirely through checkbook activism. But in conservative political circles, a Uihlein endorsement and funding commitment can make or break primary candidates. Josh Hawley, Ron Johnson, and dozens of other MAGA senators and House members owe their seats in part to Uihlein money. Liz Uihlein is equally active — her Uline catalog editorials are essentially conservative political pamphlets disguised as shipping supply promotions. She was a member of Trump's transition team and has direct access to the White House. Together, the Uihleins represent the manufacturing wing of the conservative donor class — less flashy than tech billionaires or hedge fund managers, but just as influential.