Ellison’s remote Lanai Island home was well out of the South Carolina senator’s way. But for Scott, who like the 76-year-old Ellison is an outspoken advocate for school choice, cultivating the mogul has paid dividends — and could even help propel a 2024 presidential bid. Since last October, Ellison has contributed $10 million to an outside group aligned with the senator — a huge sum even in the super PAC era and the business owner’s biggest known contribution in three decades as a political donor…

A Scott 2024 run is far from a foregone conclusion. The senator has repeatedly brushed aside questions about a presidential bid and has said he is focused on his 2022 reelection campaign in South Carolina, where he is a heavy favorite. And even if Scott does wage a presidential campaign, he wouldn’t necessarily be a front-runner: Many Republicans say there’s far more enthusiasm for would-be candidates more closely associated with the conservative base, like Trump or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis has been embarking on his own nationwide fundraising push, including a stop this past week in Michigan.

But that isn’t dampening GOP buzz about the prospect of a Scott presidential bid — and the prospect he could benefit from Ellison’s largesse. It wouldn’t be the first time a wealthy patron has almost single-handedly turned a Republican candidate into a contender for the nomination. During the 2012 race, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was bankrolled by casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum by investor Foster Friess, helping them advance deeper into the contest than initially expected.