Boston billionaire Seth Klarman (Trades, Portfolio) says most Republicans are “Neanderthals” on gay marriage. He calls Senator Tom Cotton’s letter to the Iranian leaders “divisive.” And he considers the 2010 Supreme Court ruling that ushered in an era of unlimited political donations “a terrible decision.”
Meet New England’s top campaign contributor. He gives mostly to Republicans, but he’s not much of one.
“I’m a complicated guy,” Klarman said to The Globe in a rare interview. “I’m fairly nuanced in my views. I’m trying to do what I think is the right thing for the country.” His registration: independent.
Klarman, president of the $28.5 billion private investment firm The Baupost Group, is part of a new class of political donors who have risen in prominence in the wake of the 2010 Citizens United court decision that allowed unlimited campaign giving. He is new to making mega donations, reaching the top 20 donor list for the first time after he gave more than $3 million in the 2014 federal elections.
A nod from Klarman can help fill up a super-PAC and turbo-charge a lackluster campaign. That means candidates in the Republican 2016 field are already lining up with their hands out, hoping for an audience — or better yet, a check — from Klarman.
“All the major players want to get on his dance card,” said Rob Gray, a Boston-based Republican operative. “The campaign finance laws have changed and big checks in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, or the millions of dollars, are now sought after. Klarman is one of the few people who can, and is willing to, write those big checks.”
Klarman, who just turned 58, declined to say who he would back in 2016 or how much he plans to give to candidates and their supporters. He has lavished praise on Chris Christie and held a meet-and-greet for the New Jersey governor this year. He attended an event for former Florida governor Jeb Bush. He cohosted a recent fund-raiser that was billed as a “luncheon and policy discussion” for Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and has also given to Senator Marco Rubio of Florida.
Klarman said he has mostly backed GOP candidates in recent years because they tend to support two of his top issues: reducing the size of the deficit and investing in a strong national defense. He concedes that at times the politicians he backs do not hold his generally liberal views on social issues, although he tries to prod them in his direction. His views represent the zeitgeist of the classic New England Republican, a breed that has lost ground in recent years.
Klarman also is a part owner of the Fenway Sports Group, the Boston Red Sox parent company that is led by principal owner John Henry. (Henry is also owner and publisher of the Boston Globe.)
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