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Barack Obama (Photo: Bloomberg) |
Not all hedge funders are switching to Team Romney. True, 70% of hedge fund employee money has gone to Republicans in the 2012 election cycle, up from 33% in 2008, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, and Mitt Romney's list of bundlers includes at least 31 industry names. But at least 25 people involved in hedge funds (including investors in them) are fundraising for Barack Obama, according to an analysis of names released by the campaign for the second quarter.
Several big new fundraisers and donors have joined the list compiled by AR in October. They include Scott Nathan, managing director and chief Risk officer at Boston-based Baupost Group, who has bundled at least $500,000; Lynn Meredith, wife of Austin-based fund of funds Meritage Capital founder Tom Meredith ($50,000-$100,000); Wim Kooyker, chairman of New Jersey-based Blenheim Capital Management ($50,000-$100,000); and Jim Chanos of New York-based Kynikos Associates ($200,000 to $500,000).
They join the list of Obama boosters that includes long-time Democratic donors David Shaw, founder of New York-based D. E. Shaw & Co. ($200,000-$500,000); Orin Kramer of New York-based Boston Provident ($500,000+); Marc Lasry of New York-based Avenue Capital Group ($100,000-$200,000); Eric Mindich of New York-based Eton Park Capital Management ($50,000-$100,000); and Tom Steyer of San Francisco-based Farallon Capital Management ($50,000-$100,000).
Below are hedge fund industry names AR found on Obama’s list of bundlers as of the end of June, combined with a list from the Center for Responsive Politics that includes total political donations to all federal candidates, parties and political action committees since 1990—a combined $13.6 million.
|
Name |
Employer |
City |
State |
Minimum |
Maximum |
Contributions since 1990 |
|
Scott Nathan |
Baupost Group |
Boston |
MA |
$500,000 |
Undisclosed |
$1,002,699 |
|
Marc Lasry |
Avenue Capital |
New York |
NY |
$500,000 |
Undisclosed |
$849,906 |
|
Orin Kramer |
Boston Provident |
New York |
NY |
$500,000 |
Undisclosed |
$656,230 |
|
Hamilton James |
Blackstone Group |
New York |
NY |
$500,000 |
Undisclosed |
$344,250 |
|
Les Coney |
Mesirow Financial |
Chicago |
IL |
$500,000 |
Undisclosed |
$54,468 |
|
Brian Mathis |
Provident Group |
New York |
NY |
$500,000 |
Undisclosed |
$7,900 |
|
Beth & David Shaw |
DE Shaw Research |
New York |
NY |
$200,000 |
$500,000 |
$1,181,648 |
|
Frank Brosens |
Taconic Capital Advisors |
New York |
NY |
$200,000 |
$500,000 |
$736,175 |
|
James Chanos |
Kynikos Associates |
New York |
NY |
$200,000 |
$500,000 |
$687,900 |
|
Alice & Bill Mahoney |
Investor (ex-Bridgewater Associates) |
New Canaan |
CT |
$200,000 |
$500,000 |
$674,126 |
|
Jim Torrey |
Torrey Funds |
Greenwich |
CT |
$200,000 |
$500,000 |
$498,940 |
|
Jonathan Burgstone |
Symbol Capital |
San Francisco |
CA |
$200,000 |
$500,000 |
$135,650 |
|
Michael Sacks |
Grosvenor Capital Management |
Winnetka |
IL |
$200,000 |
$500,000 |
$12,000 |
|
Stephen Robert |
Source of Hope Foundation (ex-Renaissance Technologies) |
New York |
NY |
$100,000 |
$200,000 |
$593,363 |
|
Cappy McGarr |
McGarr Capital |
Dallas |
TX |
$100,000 |
$200,000 |
$445,300 |
|
Chad Leat |
Citigroup |
New York |
NY |
$100,000 |
$200,000 |
$129,050 |
|
Jewelle Bickford |
Genspring Family Offices |
New York |
NY |
$100,000 |
$200,000 |
$27,400 |
|
Tom Steyer |
Farallon Capital Management |
San Francisco |
CA |
$50,000 |
$100,000 |
$1,166,850 |
|
Naomi Aberly (wife of ex-HBK chairman Larry Lebowitz) |
TIFF Advisory Services |
Dallas |
TX |
$50,000 |
$100,000 |
$933,133 |
|
Lynn Meredith (wife of Meritage Capital founder Tom Meredith) |
Meredith Family Investments |
Austin |
TX |
$50,000 |
$100,000 |
$830,274 |
|
Judith-Ann Corrente & Wim Kooyker |
Blenheim Capital Management |
New York |
NY |
$50,000 |
$100,000 |
$829,208 |
|
Joseph Gutman |
Grosvenor Capital Management |
Chicago |
IL |
$50,000 |
$100,000 |
$784,547 |
|
Eric Mindich |
Eton Park Capital Management |
New York |
NY |
$50,000 |
$100,000 |
$530,900 |
|
Peter Novello |
Far Hills Group |
New York |
NY |
$50,000 |
$100,000 |
$505,324 |
|
Andrew Fishman |
Schonfeld Group |
Weston |
CT |
$50,000 |
$100,000 |
$75,919 |
Source: AR research, Center for Responsive Politics
If we’ve missed any on the Obama campaign list, email us at ldelevingne@absolutereturn.net
See also: Goldman Sachs, SkyBridge among Mitt Romney’s hedge fund bundlers