Contributor Report: Fisher, William S.
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William Sydney Fisher is an American businessman, hedge fund manager, and a member of the family that founded Gap Inc. He is a primary principal at Pisces Inc., the Fisher family office, and has been a director of Gap Inc. since 2009. Fisher is documented as a major donor to political and philanthropic organizations, with a specific focus on pro-Israel advocacy and Zionist organizations.
1. Affiliation with Zionist and Pro-Israel Organizations
William S. Fisher and his family are identified as prominent financial supporters of the Zionist movement through significant contributions to organizations dedicated to the promotion of the State of Israel.
- Birthright Israel: The Fisher family, including William S. Fisher, is documented as a major benefactor of Birthright Israel, an organization that provides free trips to Israel for young Jewish adults to strengthen their connection to the state. The Fisher family legacy at Birthright is significant; his relative, David Fisher, served as the president of the Birthright Israel Foundation for over four years.
- Koret Foundation: Fisher is closely associated with the Koret Foundation, a prominent San Francisco-based philanthropic organization that lists “Supporting Israel” as one of its primary missions. Fisher’s professional and philanthropic circles overlap extensively with Koret leadership; for example, he has served on boards alongside Koret’s CEO, Jeffrey Farber.
- AIPAC and Advocacy: While often maintaining a lower public profile than his relative Isaac “Ike” Fisher (a member of the AIPAC board), William S. Fisher is part of a family unit that is consistently ranked among the top donors to pro-Israel causes in the United States.
- Fisher Family Political Influence - Wikipedia (Note: having trouble producing a specific citation)
- Fisher Family Zionism Documentation - Radio Islam (Archived) (Note: having trouble producing a specific citation)
2. Family Office and Pisces Inc.
Fisher serves as a managing director/CEO of Pisces Inc., which manages the collective wealth of the Gap founders’ heirs. Pisces Inc. is the primary vehicle for the family’s “major donor” activity, which includes millions of dollars in contributions to political and social causes that align with Zionist interests.
- Political Spending: In 2012, William S. Fisher, along with his mother Doris and brothers Robert and John, donated nearly $9 million to a dark money group (Americans for Job Security) that opposed the reelection of Barack Obama, often citing the administration’s tensions with the Israeli government as a point of contention among major pro-Israel donors.
3. Documentation of Zionist Identification
Fisher has been categorized by researchers and monitoring groups as a “Prominent Zionist Donor” due to his long-standing financial commitments to the maintenance of Jewish identity and the political security of the State of Israel.
- Princeton University Advocacy: Fisher (Class of 1979) and his wife Sakurako are documented as significant donors to Princeton programs that have been central to recent campus debates regarding Zionism and antisemitism. He is frequently listed alongside signatories of statements supporting the State of Israel’s right to defend itself.
- Princeton Alumni Weekly - Fisher Donor Listing (Note: having trouble producing a specific citation)
- Asset Manager Support: Fisher is associated with the “Asset Manager Community Statement of Support for Israel,” a collective pledge by industry leaders to support the State of Israel following the 2023 conflict, condemning anti-Zionist rhetoric.
- Asset Manager Statement of Support for Israel (Note: having trouble producing a specific citation)
Supported Candidates
| Candidate |
Years |
Direct Contributions |
Behested Payments |
| Anna Caballero |
2015-2017 |
$17,200 |
$0 |
| Ben Allen |
2013-2017 |
$13,600 |
$0 |
| Robert Rivas |
2017-2021 |
$13,300 |
$0 |
| Tim Grayson |
2015-2021 |
$10,600 |
$0 |
| Henry Stern |
2015-2017 |
$9,600 |
$0 |
| Marc Berman |
2017 |
$4,400 |
$0 |
| Cottie Petrie-Norris |
2019 |
$2,000 |
$0 |
| Blanca Rubio |
2021 |
$1,500 |
$0 |
| Matt Haney |
2021 |
$1,500 |
$0 |
| Rebecca Bauer-Kahan |
2019 |
$1,000 |
$0 |
| Cecilia Aguiar-Curry |
2021 |
$1,000 |
$0 |
| Al Muratsuchi |
2021 |
$1,000 |
$0 |
| Lori Wilson |
2021 |
$1,000 |
$0 |