Kanbar goes large

Diminutive billionaire Maurice Kanbar gives a staggering $1 million at the behest of the “lame duck” 39^th Governor of California Jerry Brown

Pint sized inventor Maurice Kanbar is as well known for going through the telephone bills of his staff with a highlighter pen as he is for having created SKYY vodka in 1992. It is surprising, therefore, that this “careful to the core”, Brooklyn born, San Francisco based billionaire gave a $1 million (£638,000) tax deductible donation at the behest of the 39^th Governor of California, Jerry Brown, recently.

A lover of polyester and plastic shoes, right-wing Kanbar – who endearingly refers to McDonalds as “Scottish food” and whom entered a bitter legal suit with one of his former closest associates, Henry Kaufman, in 2009 – made the “behested payment” to the Oakland Military Institute in February despite Brown retaining some $19.6 million (£12.5 million) in re-election campaign funds from 2014.

Noted by the Santa Cruz Sentinel as a donation that Brown does not benefit from personally, but as a payment that generates the kind of “gubernatorial goodwill that wealthy special interests want”, Republican supporting Kanbar’s donation is surprising given that he has previously limited contributions to just $25,000 per annum to the school and because the Democrat Brown is not eligible to stand again.

Of his motivations for giving such a large amount at the behest of a man Breitbart have termed a “lame duck”, Kanbar – who is also close to the deranged and “banned from Britain” radio shock jock Michael Savage – told the newspaper:

“He’s just a very, very wonderful, decent man; we don’t always agree but we at least have an interesting conversation”.

Kanbar is renowned for often booming out the question: “What do you need to know?” at those in his company. He answers curtly with the word “everything” and beneath this strangely timed donation, there’s certainly more to this story than initially meets the eye.

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