Barre Seid

Last updated

Barre Seid
Born1932 (age 91–92)
Alma mater University of Chicago (BA)
OccupationBusinessman
Known forFormer owner of Tripp Lite, political donor

Barre Seid (born 1932) is an American businessman and political donor from Chicago. He was the owner of Tripp Lite, an electrical products manufacturer. Seid donated the company to Marble Freedom Trust, which in 2021 sold Tripp Lite to American Irish power company Eaton for US$1.65 billion. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Seid was born in 1932 to Reuben and Anne Seid, who were Russian Jewish immigrants. He grew up on the South Side of Chicago. [2] Seid has two brothers. [2] Seid attended the University of Chicago under a special bachelor's degree program. [2] In 2010, Seid was given an honorary degree by Israel's Bar-Ilan University. [3]

Career

After attending college, Seid served for two years in the U.S. Army. He then returned to Chicago to take a job as an assistant to investor and businessman Graham Trippe, owner of Trippe Manufacturing. [2] In the mid-1960s, Seid became president of Trippe Manufacturing, an electrical products manufacturer that later became known as Tripp Lite. He held that position for more than 50 years. Seid owned 100% of the company. [2]

Donations

Public donations are made through the Barbara and Barre Seid Foundation. [4] He gave at least $775 million in charitable donations between 1996 and 2018. [2]

Educational

Seid is a benefactor of Hillsdale College. [5]

George Mason University

According to ProPublica, activists have suspected that Seid is the anonymous donor who gave $20m to have the George Mason University School of Law renamed the Antonin Scalia Law School. ProPublica confirmed this with emails received through a public records request. [5]

Shimer College

From 2007 to 2008, Seid gave $825,000 to Shimer College as an anonymous donor through his foundation. [6] His donation was later made public by a former student who examined tax filings. [7] [8] In January 2009, Thomas Lindsay became president of the school, with goals to increase the school's name recognition and build its board of trustees. [6] Through 2009, Lindsay increased the 22-member board by 13 members, with many having financial ties to Seid. [6] Many of the new board members shared conservative political affiliations, leading some alumni, students, and faculty to argue that the school was undergoing a "right-wing attempt to take over its board and administration." [7] [9] In 2010, Lindsay moved to rewrite the school's mission statement, though he was faced with overwhelming opposition by the school's assembly of faculty, staff, and students. [6] The trustees adopted the redrafted statement in February, but by April, the trustees voted 18 to 16 to dismiss Lindsay from the presidency. [6] [8]

Political

Seid opposed the ban of DDT and funded activists and researchers who opposed the ban. [5] Seid's giving reflects his belief that global warming is not the result of human emissions. [5] According to ProPublica, Seid appears to have given $17 million to fund the distribution of the documentary film Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West during the 2008 presidential campaign. [2] In 2008, the Clarion Fund sent out the film, on DVD, to 28 million houses and religious institutions. [10] Seid has anonymously supported the Foundation for Government Accountability. [4] He has also donated to the University of Chicago's Becker Friedman Institute for Economics and the Heartland Institute. [2]

In 2020, Seid donated Tripp Lite to the newly created nonprofit group Marble Freedom Trust headed by Leonard Leo, a conservative legal activist. In March 2021, Marble Freedom Trust sold Tripp Lite to the Eaton Corporation for $1.65 billion. [2] [1] The donation was made anonymously, but Seid's identity was first confirmed by The New York Times based on public financial disclosures. [4] [1] The New York Times described the donation as "among the largest single contributions ever to a politically focused nonprofit." [1]

Personal life

Seid was married to Adrienne Gruber Seid. In 1976, he established the Adrienne Gruber Seid Memorial Scholarship at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) in memory of his late wife, who was a student there in the early 1960s. [11] Seid is married to Barbara Landis. [12] [13] Since 2005, Landis is the general and artistic director of Chamber Opera Chicago, which was founded by Seid. [14]

Seid identifies as a libertarian. [5] He has used the pseudonym Ebert or Elbert Howell. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donation</span> Gift given by physical or legal persons, typically for charitable purposes and/or to benefit a cause

A donation is a gift for charity, humanitarian aid, or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including money, alms, services, or goods such as clothing, toys, food, or vehicles. A donation may satisfy medical needs such as blood or organs for transplant.

The Antonin Scalia Law School is the law school of George Mason University, a public research university in Virginia. It is located in Arlington, Virginia, roughly 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Washington, D.C., and 15 miles (24 km) east-northeast of George Mason University's main campus in Fairfax, Virginia.

Leonard Anthony Leo is an American lawyer and conservative legal activist. He was the longtime vice president of the Federalist Society and is currently, along with Steven Calabresi, the co-chairman of the organization's board of directors. Leo has been instrumental in building a network of influential conservative legal groups funded mostly by anonymous donors, including The 85 Fund and Concord Fund, which serve as funding hubs for affiliated political nonprofits. He assisted Clarence Thomas in his Supreme Court confirmation hearings and led campaigns to support the nominations of John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heartland Institute</span> Conservative and libertarian American think tank

The Heartland Institute is an American conservative and libertarian public policy think tank known for its rejection of both the scientific consensus on climate change and the negative health impacts of smoking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenneth C. Griffin</span> American billionaire hedge fund manager (born 1968)

Kenneth Cordele Griffin is an American hedge fund manager, entrepreneur and investor. He is the founder, chief executive officer, co-chief investment officer, and 80% owner of Citadel LLC, a multinational hedge fund. He also owns Citadel Securities, one of the largest market makers in the U.S.

Charles Bartlett Johnson is an American billionaire businessman, with an estimated current net worth of around $6.1 billion. He is a Republican megadonor and part owner of the San Francisco Giants.

Jeffrey S. Yass is an American billionaire businessman. According to Forbes, Yass had a net worth of $28.5 billion in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T. Denny Sanford</span> American businessman

Thomas Denny Sanford is a South Dakota businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of First Premier Bank and the chairman and chief executive officer of its holding company, United National.

The Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation is an American conservative non-profit organization and grant-making body formed in 1970. Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the organization was founded by Richard DeVos Sr., co-founder of the multi-level marketing company Amway and former finance chair of the Republican National Committee, and his wife Helen. As of 2014, the foundation had $54.9 million in assets. It is one of five non-profit organizations established and operated by the DeVos family; the others, all founded by siblings of Richard DeVos Jr., include the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation; the Daniel and Pamella DeVos Foundation; Cheri DeVos’ CDV5 Foundation; and the Douglas and Maria DeVos Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Lindsay (academic)</span> American academic

Thomas Kevin Lindsay is an American academic who briefly served as President of Shimer College. He was the Deputy Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities until December 2008. He was also the Director of the NEH We the People initiative, which funds programs, research and other activities that explore significant events and themes in US history and culture, and advance knowledge of the principles that define America. He serves as the Director of the Center for Higher Education at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Shimer College</span>

Shimer College was founded in 1852, when the pioneer town of Mt. Carroll, Illinois, lacking a public school, incorporated the Mt. Carroll Seminary with no land, no teachers, and no money for this purpose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uline</span> Shipping supply company

Uline is a privately held American company that offers shipping and packing supplies, as well as other industrial supplies and bulk business goods. It was founded in 1980 by Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein. It has more than 8,000 employees and is headquartered in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. It has distribution centers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Center for Media and Democracy</span> Non-profit organization in the US

The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) is a progressive nonprofit watchdog and advocacy organization based in Madison, Wisconsin. CMD publishes ExposedbyCMD.org, SourceWatch.org, and ALECexposed.org.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dark money</span> Undisclosed American political contributions

In politics, particularly the politics of the United States, dark money refers to spending to influence elections, public policy, and political discourse, where the source of the money is not disclosed to the public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Cruddas, Baron Cruddas</span> English banker and businessman

Peter Andrew Cruddas, Baron Cruddas is an English banker and businessman. He is the founder of online trading company CMC Markets. In the 2007 Sunday Times Rich List, he was named the richest man in the City of London, with an estimated fortune of £860 million. As of March 2012, Forbes estimated his wealth at $1.3 billion, equivalent to £830 million at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tripp Lite</span> Electrical hardware manufacturer

Tripp Lite is an American manufacturer of power protection and connecting electrical devices. It was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The company employs more than 450 people and maintains a sales presence in over 80 countries worldwide. Tripp Lite manufactures a variety of product categories, including UPS systems, UPS replacement batteries, surge protectors, electrical cables and connectors, power inverters, KVM switches, power strips, PDUs, racks and rack cooling systems, power management software, laptop accessories, and audio/video equipment. Tripp Lite is ISO 9001 certified.

Richard Ellis Uihlein and Elizabeth Uihlein are American billionaire businesspeople, founders of Uline and conservative donors. Richard is also an heir to the Schlitz brewing fortune.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jan Koum</span> Ukrainian-born American entrepreneur, co-founder of WhatsApp

Jan Koum is a Ukrainian-American billionaire businessman and computer programmer. He is the co-founder and former CEO of WhatsApp, a mobile messaging app which was acquired by Facebook in 2014 for US$19.3 billion. According to Forbes, he has an estimated net worth of US$15.2 billion as of October 2023, making him one of the richest people in the world. Koum was ranked 44th on the Forbes' list of richest Americans in 2023 with a net worth of $15.1 billion.

The 85 Fund, also known as the Honest Elections Project, and formerly known as the Judicial Education Project, is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington D.C. It is among a network of conservative organizations associated with Leonard Leo, a longtime prominent figure in the Federalist Society, that are funded mostly by anonymous donors. The 85 Fund had revenue of over $65 million in 2020 and, with the Concord Fund, acts as a funding hub for other organizations in the Leo network.

The Marble Freedom Trust is an American conservative political advocacy group structured as a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. Such groups, which are not required to publicly disclose their donors, are permitted to spend money advocating for or against candidates in political campaigns, although this type of spending cannot be their primary purpose. Leonard Leo is the group's trustee and chairman.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Vogel, Kenneth P.; Goldmacher, Shane (August 22, 2022). "An Unusual $1.6 Billion Donation Bolsters Conservatives". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Perez, Andrew; Kroll, Andy; Elliott, Justin (August 22, 2022). "How a Secretive Billionaire Handed His Fortune to the Architect of the Right-Wing Takeover of the Courts". ProPublica . Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  3. ↑ Kampeas, Ron (August 23, 2022). "Pro-Israel donor Barre Seid donated $1.6 billion to conservative group". The Jerusalem Post . Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 Tolan, Casey; Devine, Curt; Griffin, Drew (August 22, 2022). "Massive dark money windfall: New conservative group got $1.6 billion from single donor". CNN. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kroll, Andy; Elliott, Justin; Perez, Andrew (September 6, 2022). "How a Billionaire's "Attack Philanthropy" Secretly Funded Climate Denialism and Right-Wing Causes". propublica.org. ProPublica. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Troop, Don (February 25, 2010). "At a Tiny College, an Epic Battle Over Academic Authority". Chronicle of Higher Education . Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  7. 1 2 Isaacs, Deanna (February 25, 2010). "Who's Buying Shimer?". Chicago Reader . Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  8. 1 2 Stripling, Jack (April 21, 2010). "Old School Shimer". Inside Higher Ed . Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  9. ↑ Isaacs, Deanna (December 10, 2009). "The Conservative Menace". Chicago Reader . Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  10. ↑ Kindy, Kimberly (October 26, 2008). "Group Swamps Swing States With Movie on Radical Islam". The Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Adrienne Gruber Seid Memorial Scholarship". SAIC. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Barbara and Barre Seid Foundation: Grants for Chicago". Inside Philanthropy. April 3, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Met Opera 2014-15 Annual Report" (PDF). Met Opera. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Our History". Chamber Opera Chicago. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.