A person who raises large sums of money on behalf of a candidate for public office "[E]very presidential candidate has recruited one or more rainmakers, mostly men -- real estate developers, bankers, doctors, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies [T]heir success or failure can make or break a presidential candidacy " -- Newhouse News Service, April 23, 1995
An employee of a company who creates a large amount of unexpected business, consistently brings in money at critical times, or brings in markedly more money than his or her co-workers, thereby "floating their salaries"