Billionaire-Funded Anti-Gun Research: RAND’s Fifth Report Delivers What Arnold Ventures Paid For

February 10, 2026
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Billionaire Michael Bloomberg's shadow looms large over the gun control debate, but don't sleep on the other deep-pocketed player: Laura and John Arnold's Arnold Ventures. Their latest puppet? RAND Corporation's fifth installment in the so-called Science of Gun Policy series, a report that's less groundbreaking research and more a scripted hit job on the Second Amendment. Funded to the tune of millions by the Arnolds—who've poured over $100 million into anti-gun advocacy since 2018—this study predictably churns out cherry-picked conclusions favoring restrictions like universal background checks and red flag laws, while downplaying defensive gun uses and ignoring mountains of data on armed self-defense. It's not science; it's activism dressed in lab coats, with RAND acting as the compliant contractor delivering exactly what the check-writers ordered. Dig deeper, and the rot is obvious. RAND's methodology leans heavily on selective studies from the same echo chamber of gun-control researchers, sidelining pro-2A scholars like John Lott or the CDC's own buried data showing firearms used defensively 500,000 to 3 million times annually. Arnold Ventures, with its hedge-fund billions, has a track record of bankrolling research that aligns with their agenda—think Everytown for Gun Safety tie-ins and pushes for assault weapon bans—while dismissing contrary evidence as flawed. This isn't independent inquiry; it's pay-to-play policy laundering, where taxpayer-funded institutions like RAND trade credibility for cash, eroding public trust in gold standard research. For the 2A community, the implications are a clarion call: vigilance against astroturf science that fuels legislative assaults. As states like California and New York cite these reports to justify infringements, gun owners must amplify counter-narratives—Crime Prevention Research Center stats, real-world carry data from shall-issue states, and the plummeting violent crime in pro-gun jurisdictions. Support independent outlets, fund true peer-reviewed work, and vote with your wallet against billionaire busybodies. The Arnolds may buy reports, but they can't buy the Constitution. Stay armed, informed, and unapologetic.

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Billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s shadow looms large over the gun control debate, but don’t sleep on the other deep-pocketed player: Laura and John Arnold’s Arnold Ventures. Their latest puppet? RAND Corporation’s fifth installment in the so-called Science of Gun Policy series, a report that’s less groundbreaking research and more a scripted hit job on the Second Amendment. Funded to the tune of millions by the Arnolds—who’ve poured over $100 million into anti-gun advocacy since 2018—this study predictably churns out cherry-picked conclusions favoring restrictions like universal background checks and red flag laws, while downplaying defensive gun uses and ignoring mountains of data on armed self-defense. It’s not science; it’s activism dressed in lab coats, with RAND acting as the compliant contractor delivering exactly what the check-writers ordered.

Dig deeper, and the rot is obvious. RAND’s methodology leans heavily on selective studies from the same echo chamber of gun-control researchers, sidelining pro-2A scholars like John Lott or the CDC’s own buried data showing firearms used defensively 500,000 to 3 million times annually. Arnold Ventures, with its hedge-fund billions, has a track record of bankrolling research that aligns with their agenda—think Everytown for Gun Safety tie-ins and pushes for assault weapon bans—while dismissing contrary evidence as flawed. This isn’t independent inquiry; it’s pay-to-play policy laundering, where taxpayer-funded institutions like RAND trade credibility for cash, eroding public trust in gold standard research.

For the 2A community, the implications are a clarion call: vigilance against astroturf science that fuels legislative assaults. As states like California and New York cite these reports to justify infringements, gun owners must amplify counter-narratives—Crime Prevention Research Center stats, real-world carry data from shall-issue states, and the plummeting violent crime in pro-gun jurisdictions. Support independent outlets, fund true peer-reviewed work, and vote with your wallet against billionaire busybodies. The Arnolds may buy reports, but they can’t buy the Constitution. Stay armed, informed, and unapologetic.

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