In 1999, Peterffy was influential in persuading the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that U.S. options markets could be linked electronically, which would ensure that investors receive the best possible options prices. Peterffy bought millions of dollars of air time on networks such as
CNN,
CNBC, and
Bloomberg. The ads consisted of a minute-long spot narrated by Peterffy, warning against creeping
socialism in the United States. The ads were out of the ordinary, because Peterffy was not a candidate and did not buy the ads through a
527 group, but instead paid for them directly. In the spot, Peterffy said, "America's wealth comes from the efforts of people striving for success. Take away their incentive with badmouthing success and you take away the wealth that helps us take care of the needy. Yes, in socialism the rich will be poorer, but the poor will also be poorer. People will lose interest in really working hard and creating jobs." Peterffy's ad received mixed responses. Joshua Green, writing for
Bloomberg Businessweek, said "The ad, while slightly ridiculous, is deeply sincere and also quite affecting." Green also asked Peterffy whether the comparison between the United States and Hungary made in the ad was a fair one: "[Peterffy] couldn't really think that the U.S. was turning into socialist Hungary, could he? The government isn't suppressing speech and throwing political opponents in jail. No, he conceded, it wasn't. But it sure feels like that's the path we're on."
Politico said that it could have been influential in
Ohio due to its large
Hungarian American population. Voter registration records in
Connecticut show that Peterffy has been registered as an independent voter.
Views on Donald Trump and the Republican Party Discussing the 2016 election in 2021, he said "I am actually not a Trump fan at all. I hope he won't run again." Peterffy contributed $250,000 to
Donald Trump's
2020 presidential campaign. In late 2023, Peterffy, as well as other wealthy Republican donors, distanced themselves from Trump. Peterffy said in December 2023 that, “the street still hopes for somebody else", and expressed hope for a
brokered convention. Peterffy said at that time that he will not donate to support Trump's campaign. Peterffy attended a fundraising dinner for Trump on August 10, 2024, in Aspen, Colorado at the home of John and Amy Phelan, in which attendees donated between $25,000 and $500,000 to Trump's campaign. Federal records show that Peterffy donated $500,000 to the Trump 47 Committee, Inc. on August 5, 2024, and likewise $344,660 to the same committee on August 12, 2024. Prior to that point he hadn't donated at all to Trump's campaign while still donating about $7 million to Republican causes and candidates. On December 11, 2024, in the aftermath of the election, Peterffy sat down for an interview with Bloomberg's Sonali Basak at a Goldman Sachs Group Inc. conference. Basak mentioned at the beginning of the interview that Peterffy had donated to Trump both in 2020 and in 2024, and Peterffy stated that, "having grown up in a socialist country I came to a conviction early on in my life that a
free market economy is the only way to efficiently run a society", and, "I've always been a Republican all my life." He said that, "I'm very happy that this is the outcome that we had this election time." However, Peterffy also pointed out that he has donated collectively more to other Republicans than to Trump. In 2025, Peterffy said, "The wealthiest people are business people, and they are surging to Trump because they understand how much better Trump is for a prosperous economy." ==Personal life==