Healthcare business titan Benjamin Leon Jr., who founded Leon Medical Centers and made a fortune off Medicare patients — and who gave more than $3 million in campaign contributions last year — was appointed this week by President Elect Donald Trump as his new ambassador to Spain.
Think of it as a thank you.
More than half of the contributions that Leon made to different candidates and political action committees in 2024 went to help get Trump elected, according to records with the Federal Election Commission. He poured $1.18 million into the Make America Great Again PAC and nosher $928,000 to the president’s Trump 47 Committee. Leon also gave $413,000 to the Republican National Committee and $10,000 each to every state Republican Party — including Guam’s.
He has given to both sides of the aisle, but favors GOP candidates, giving $46,000 to Sen. Rick Scott‘s efforts and more than $13,000 to support Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar. He only have $6,000 to Democrat Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Trump wasn’t his first choice in 2016, however, when records show he gave $2.5 million to Sen. Marco Rubio‘s presidential bid.
“Benjamin is a highly successful entrepreneur, equestrian, and philanthropist,” Trump wrote this week on his own personal social media platform, Truth Social. Why does he include equestrian? Are horses the main way of transportation in Spain?
“He came to the U.S. from Communist Cuba at 16-years-old, with only Five Dollars in his pocket, and proceeded to build his company, Leon Medical Centers, into an incredible business,” Trump continued. “He has helped support many worthy causes, like La Liga Contra El Cancer, and important medical research at Johns Hopkins and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
“Benjamin has also invested in training our future doctors and nurses by supporting Miami Dade College’s Benjamin Leon Jr. School of Nursing and the Benjamin Leon Center for Geriatric Research and Education at Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.”
He also recently gave a $10 million gift to FIU for the new home of the school’s CasaCuba, a gathering spot for scholars, artists and activists to discuss Cuba’s past, present and future.
Read related: Kevin Cabrera tapped as Panama ambassador; so who will replace him?
Leon’s net worth is estimated at $500 million, so it’s easy to give back. Especially for naming rights.
He got the thumbs up from several Miami area Republicans (though not Salazar), including Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, who posted on his social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “Congratulations to my dear friend, Benjamin Leon Jr., a true titan in the healthcare field, who is making a profound difference in the lives of seniors and families in Miami-Dade County.
“As an outstanding member of the exiled Cuban-American community, he consistently gives back, advocating for freedom and standing up for those who are oppressed,” Diaz-Balart wrote. “Benjamin embodies the American dream and is a true patriot who will represent U.S. interests with great honor in Spain.”
Said Miami Dade College President Madeline Pumariega: “Like my parents, he came to this great country from Cuba in search of freedom and opportunity and has dedicated his life to giving back. His leadership and generosity, exemplified through his transformative support of our Benjamin León School of Nursing, have changed countless lives.”
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez told Trump it was a “great pick,” on his social stream. “I couldn’t be happier for my good friend. Seeing Benjamín become U.S. Ambassador to Spain is a testament to his hard work, big heart, and dedication to helping people.”
How is this 80-year-old equestrian — because he bought a bunch of expensive horses and a stable in central Florida — qualified to be an ambassador? Especially in a country with universal healthcare that doesn’t cost its citizens anything at the point of delivery? Is he going to learn anything to bring home? The U.S. Mission in España is considered a critical European outpost, with a bunch of U.S. agencies working on economic, political, and defense and security matters.
Someone said on X that Leon is just going to shake hands, make introductions and throw flamenco parties. So this is what to expect of our ambassadors?
Those parties better not run too late.
Leon becomes the seventh person from Florida that Trump has named to a cabinet position or ambassdorship. Rubio has been nominated for Secretary of State, longtime campaign chief, Susie Wiles, for chief of staff and former State Attorney General Pam Bondi for U.S. Attorney General after Congressman Matt Gaetz, who has faced allegations of sexual misconduct, withdrew his name from consideration.
Trump also nominated Kimberly Guilfoyle, his son’s fiancee, to be the ambassador to Greece and Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kevin Merino Cabrera, who has also helped on his campaigns, to be the ambassador to Panama.
Prolific campaign donor Benjamin Leon tapped by Trump as Spain ambassador added by Ladra on
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