History Main / TheTeamBenefactor

* ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'': Apex Cybernetics executive [[Characters/MonsterVerseHumans Maia Simmons]] and her father Walter respectively are to Team Kong as [[VideoGame/MassEffect2 Miranda and the Illusive Man]] are to the ''Normandy'' crew respectively: Walter is providing the expedition with the [=HEAVs=] necessary to access and even stand a chance at braving the Hollow Earth, but Maia represents Walter's company on the team whilst Walter doesn't physically join them in any capacity.

** [[Characters/IronManHeroes Tony Stark]] originally funded the team, setting them up in his mansion and giving them the use of his butler Jarvis. This later was replaced by a foundation named after Stark's mother.

* Batman in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' built the Watchtower in Earth's orbit and funds them with his money. He combines this trope with the roles of TheLancer and TheSmartGuy.
* While by no means useless in other regards, Asami provides Team Avatar with airships, cars, boats or whatever else they may need throughout ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra''.

* ''Franchise/MarvelUniverse'': Angel acted in this capacity when he was with the Champions, funding the group as well as being on the team. He also funded and led ''ComicBook/TheDefenders'', turning them into an actual team instead of a non-team. On the ComicBook/XMen he also sometimes provided funds, although at least at the beginning they mostly came from Charles Xavier, whose "old money" family fortune also included the Xavier Mansion and its spacious grounds and enough money to have his X-Men ride into action in Rolls-Royces from the first issue.
* Nighthawk (the Creator/MarvelComics version of Batman) provided funds for the Defenders while he was on the non-team, and they met at his ranch estate.

** ComicBook/IronMan / Tony Stark originally funded the team, setting them up in his mansion and giving them the use of his butler Jarvis. This later was replaced by a foundation named after Stark's mother.
** Other equipment, most notably the Quinjets, was produced in Wakanda and provided to the team by the ComicBook/BlackPanther.
* ComicBook/IronFist would sometimes fund the ''ComicBook/HeroesForHire'' group if ComicBook/LukeCage was hardup for cash.
* ''ComicBook/YoungAvengers'': [[Characters/HawkeyeKateBishop Kate Bishop]] provides funding for the team using her father's wealth, and converts one of his old buildings into a base for their operations. Unlike most examples, not only is she a fully fledged member of the group, she sometimes also acts as their unofficial leader.

* Reed Richards is this to the ComicBook/FantasticFour, not only providing them with their technical equipment, but also with a big part of the funding through patent fees etc.
* ''ComicBook/JusticeLeague'':
** [[ComicBook/GreenArrow Oliver Queen]] funded the team (anonymously) in ''JLA: Year One'', and [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] has also given them money to ensure they [[SupermanStaysOutOfGotham keep their massive supervillain battles away from Gotham.]]
** Maxwell Lord was this to the original incarnation of ComicBook/JusticeLeagueInternational, before his FaceHeelTurn and the Flashpoint reboot.
** Ollie is funding the team again as of ''Comicbook/DCInfiniteFrontier''.
* The mysterious "Fourth Man" of ComicBook/{{Planetary}}.
* This is how Steve Dayton a.k.a. Mento got involved with the ComicBook/DoomPatrol, going so far as to [[CrimefightingWithCash buy himself a psychic-power-enhancing helmet]] and join the team all so [[StalkerWithACrush he could be close to Rita Farr]].
* ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} ends up being this to [[Comicbook/UncannyAvengers the second incarnation of the Uncanny Avengers.]] His being an In-universe CashCowFranchise provides the team with funds to carry out their missions. Following the events of ''ComicBook/SecretEmpire'', this fell to the Human Torch.

* ''Anime/DragonBallZ''

* Angel acted in this capacity when he was with the Champions, funding the group as well as being on the team. He also funded and led ''ComicBook/TheDefenders'', turning them into an actual team instead of a non-team. On the ComicBook/XMen he also sometimes provided funds, although at least at the beginning they mostly came from Charles Xavier, whose "old money" family fortune also included the Xavier Mansion and its spacious grounds and enough money to have his X-Men ride into action in Rolls-Royces from the first issue.

** In most continuities, R. J. Brande funded the team. In the Comicbook/{{New 52}} version (based mostly on the original one) he gained his fortune by making suns.

* Mrs. Harnsforth funds the ''Literature/TheStrangerTimes'' since goodness knows the paper could never turn a profit on its own.

* In ''VideoGame:{{Starfield}}'', Walter Stroud is this to the Constellation explorer organization. He is also one half of the power couple that runs the Stroud-Eklund Corporation, a major brand in the starship building industry (the other half being his wife, Issa Eklund). Before his joining, Constellation was in dire financial straits. Members of the group were skeptical that Walter was just buying his way in, but he convinced him he was a fan of the group ever since its glory days decades earlier. He jovially calls himself "The Wallet" of the group.

* In ''VideoGame:{{Starfield}}'', Walter Stroud is this to the Constellation explorer organization. He is also one half of the power couple that runs the Stroud-Eklund Corporation, a major brand in the starship building industry (the other half being his wife, Issa Eklund). Before his joining, Constellation was in dire financial straits. Members of the group were skeptical that Walter was just buying his way in, but he convinced him he was a fan of the group ever since its glory days decades earlier.

* ComicBook/KateBishop (the Hawkeye of ''ComicBook/YoungAvengers'') provides funding for the team using her father's wealth, and converts one of his old buildings into a base for their operations. Unlike most examples, not only is she a fully fledged member of the group, she sometimes also acts as their unofficial leader.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', King Edgar of Figaro provides much of the resources for the PlayerParty. He is also the resident GadgeteerGenius.
** Also there's Setzer, owner of the only airship(s) in the world.

* ''Manga/HighSchoolOfTheDead'': While [[CloudCuckoolander Shizuka]] may initially seem like TheLoad, the group's survival is largely due to her contributions:

* ''LightNovel/RebuildWorld'':
** Kibayashi is a FriendOnTheForce (at the [[AdventureGuild Hunter’s Office]]) version of this. Kibayashi’s support is in the form of favorable contracts where the government pays for Akira’s consumables, as well as classified information with the preface that it’s "just my guess" or "you didn't hear this from me".
** Viola provides vital information as a KnowledgeBroker, due to either being payed or (more often) threatened for it. She also invests a ton of money into Sheryl’s gang to prove she's worth keeping alive due to the schemes she'd pulled on Sheryl and Akira.

** Hikaru, who gets assigned as essentially Akira’s talent agent. As an IOweYouMyLife reward, she uses her negotiation skills and connections to get Akira and his friends equipment far exceeding [[FantasticRankSystem their hunter level]].
* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure'': Robert Speedwagon becomes this after striking it rich as an oil baron in America. Even after his death, the Speedwagon Foundation is constantly supplying the descendants of Jonathan Joestar with money, vehicles, medical aid, or anything else they require on their bizarre adventures.

** This actually becomes a plot point in ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'', as it turns out Tony's benefactor status also extends to paying for the housing of those rooming at the Avengers Compound (Wanda Maximoff, Vision and Sam Wilson). And between Tony's death in ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', and Sam getting blipped for five years at the end of ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', he's forced to work as a military contractor with an inconsistent paycheck and has to unsuccessfully attempt to take out a bank loan to shore up his family's struggling fishing business, and eventually has to take up Cap's mantle himself with a Wakandan supplied vibranium suit.
*** Averted with Vision, who didn't have many needs due to being a vibranium synthezoid, and in fact had enough savings to buy a plot of land in suburban New Jersey for himself and Wanda.

* In early installments of ''Franchise/{{Noob}}'', members of the titular guild consider thelselves stuck with their incompetent healer due to the alternative being having no healer at all; there is a shortage of low-level healers and they are the last people anyone both available and competent would want to join. They eventually get a second one, but she's not that much more competent and the idea of getting rid of either healer gets dropped at some point.

* ''ComicBook/IronFist'' would sometimes fund the ''ComicBook/HeroesForHire'' group if ''ComicBook/LukeCage'' was hardup for cash.

* Ruben in ''Film/OceansEleven''. All he does is provide the initial investment and snark.