Influential Economic Policy Center Bankrolled By Shady Dating App Founder
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Influential Economic Policy Center Bankrolled By Shady Dating App Founder
(Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
Arianna Hooker
Contributor
June 19, 2026
4:56 PM ET
June 19, 2026 4:56 PM ET
Arianna Hooker
Contributor
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An Ivy League economic policy center widely cited by legacy media received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a group run by its co-founder’s brother, a dating app founder with a controversial past.
Sam Yagan, a co-founder of online dating service OkCupid, has donated $400,000 to the Yale Budget Lab. Yagan’s history includes a sexual harassment lawsuit and investments in companies with legal and regulatory failures.
Danny Yagan, Sam’s older brother, is the Budget Lab’s co-founder and chief economist, according to the policy center’s website. The Yagan Family Foundation which Sam Yagan and his wife Jessica started donated $200,000 to the Budget Lab in both 2023 and 2024, according to ProPublica.
Sam Yagan faced backlash in 2014 over a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by Whitney Wolfe, an executive at dating app Tinder. The lawsuit claimed that another Tinder executive subjected Wolfe to “sexually charged abuse and threats,” and Yagan, “looked the other way,” according to Crain’s Chicago Business.
At the time Yagan was the CEO of Match Group, an American internet and technology company that operates popular online dating sites including both OkCupid and Tinder. Wolfe later went on to found rival dating app Bumble and stated that Yagan was unmoved and “didn’t feel compelled to do anything in response,” to her sexual abuse claims, according to NBC.
The budget lab is a policy research center that studies how government policies affect the American economy. They claim they are a non-partisan center that provides in-depth analysis of federal policy proposals, per its website.
The budget lab, founded by three former members of the Biden Administration including Danny Yagan, “aims to address gaps in current economic analysis,” according to Yale Daily News.
Sean Rad, CEO of Tinder, Greg Blatt, chairman of Match Group and Sam Yagan, CEO of Match Group and co-founder and CEO of OkCupid, celebrate Match Group’s initial public offering (IPO) at the NASDAQ stock exchange on November 20, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
“Our goal is to bring fresh ideas and new methods so policymakers can make better choices. To that end, we have been building tools to analyze the fiscal and social impacts of government policies,” according to its website.
The Budget Center has analyzed topics like the impacts of artificial intelligence on the labor markets, economic effects on tariffs and created models of early childhood education and care.
The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, NPR, The Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, and The Associated Press are among several organizations that have cited the budget lab, according to its website.
Yagan is also co-founder of Corazon Capital, a venture capital firm whose portfolio companies have faced several controversies.
In 2022, a Corazon portfolio company, SafeGraph, faced criticism for selling the location data of individuals who visited Planned Parenthood abortion clinics, according to Vice. The company tracked how often people would visit, how long they would stay, where they came from and where they went to after, the outlet reported.
Clarifai, another company in Corazon’s portfolio, came to a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission in April over data privacy violations, according to Reuters. The company reportedly obtained three million OkCupid user photos to train their artificial intelligence recognition technology. (RELATED: Amazon’s Ring Doorbell Stored Strangers’ Faces, New Lawsuit Claims)
SpotHero is among another portfolio company under Corazon that is being sued in California over pricing practices, according to Open Class Action.
Danny Yagan’s work has also been funded by liberal organizations such as the Arnold Foundation and the Sloan Foundation, according to the Budget Lab’s website. The Arnold Foundation is a philanthropic organization focused on evidence-based solutions, according to its website. The Sloan Foundation is a non profit grant-making institution, its website states.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
