Romanian President Nicușor Dan publicizes the principal list of benefactors
In the recent 2025 presidential election, Romanian President Nicușor Dan's campaign saw significant financial support from prominent individuals, particularly from the business sector. The total cost of the campaign was approximately 60.9 million lei (12 million euros).
The largest individual donors were Măriuca and Florin Talpeș, founders of the Romanian IT security company Bitdefender, who contributed 810,000 lei (around 162,000 euros). Another significant donor was Dan Ostahie, who donated the maximum amount allowed by law, 810,000 lei.
During the pre-presidential campaign phase of 2025, other notable donors included Aurel Iancu, who donated 500,000 lei, and Bogdan Micu, who contributed 250,000 lei during the 2024 pre-campaign for local elections.
Alongside donations, a substantial portion of the campaign funds came as loans from many individual creditors. In the first and second rounds, Dan borrowed a total of 58.7 million lei from 340 people. This included 20.2 million lei in the first round from 111 people and 38.5 million lei in the second round from 239 people.
In contrast, the funding for Dan's 2024 local election campaign was smaller, with donations around 140,000 lei and loans about 480,000 lei, reflecting the legal spending limits at that time.
Nicușor Dan stated during a press conference that he borrowed funds from individuals to cover the campaign expenses. He also mentioned that the difference between what was received and what was spent in the 2024 local election campaign will go toward supporting civic causes.
The entire amount spent in the 2024 local election campaign was reimbursed by the Permanent Electoral Authority, while donations received during the pre-campaign period were not reimbursable according to Romanian regulations. However, the money donated during the campaign was paid in full by the state, as Dan exceeded the 3% threshold in terms of votes.
In summary, the campaign financing largely depended on a mix of high-value donations from a few wealthy individuals such as the Talpeș couple, Dan Ostahie, and Aurel Iancu, combined with numerous loans from many smaller donors. This strategy allowed Nicușor Dan to successfully run his electoral campaigns and secure his position as the President of Romania.
[1] Source: Electoral Authority Financial Reports [2] Source: Dan's Campaign Financial Disclosure [3] Source: Talpeș and Ostahie Public Statements
Policy-and-legislation: In Romania, the regulations on donations limit individual contributions to a maximum of 810,000 lei during an electoral campaign.
General-news: The funding for Nicușor Dan's presidential campaign in 2025 was predominantly sourced from high-value donations from wealthy individuals and numerous loans from smaller donors, reflecting a mix of support from politicians and the business sector.
