Tom Steyer pays $75k to Foos Gone Wild and The Shade Room to juice trailing campaign
Tom Steyer has invested $75,000 in social media promotions to attract young voters in his campaign for California governor. This includes payments to popular accounts like The Shade Room and Foos Gone Wild, aiming to enhance his progressive image. Steyer is currently trailing behind frontrunner Xavier Becerra in the polls as the primary election approaches.
- ▪Tom Steyer paid $75,000 to The Shade Room and Foos Gone Wild to promote his campaign.
- ▪The Shade Room received $25,000 for posts highlighting Steyer's progressive policies.
- ▪Foos Gone Wild was paid $50,000 for an interview with Steyer that included a humorous segment.
- ▪Steyer's campaign has faced scrutiny over payments to social media influencers, with claims of improper disclosure.
- ▪He is currently behind Xavier Becerra in the polls ahead of the June 2 primary election.
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Politics Tom Steyer pays $75k to Foos Gone Wild and The Shade Room to juice trailing campaign By Annie Gaus Published May 22, 2026, 2:10 p.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The California Post on Google Billionaire Tom Steyer shelled out $75,000 to celebrity gossip powerhouse The Shade Room and meme account Foos Gone Wild as he tries to win over young voters, filings reveal. Hedge fund titan Steyer has poured more than $190 million into his own bid for California governor — and he’s sparing no expense on online ads to cast himself as a progressive billionaire to social media-addicted Gen Z voters. That included a $25,000 payment to The Shade Room, the wildly popular gossip account that posts “culture, news & convo” and boasts 28 million Instagram followers.
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