The Biden family is spending Thanksgiving at the home of a billionaire friend.
The President and First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, departed the White House on Tuesday night for Nantucket island off Massachusetts.
According to the White House schedule and statements, the Bidens will stay at the home of David Rubenstein, the multi-billionaire lawyer, radio host, and founder of the Carlyle Group. A former top executive of the powerful private equity firm was recently elected the Republican governor of Virginia.
Carlyle invests in companies in various industries. This month, it sold off its holdings in north Wilmington-based Solenis, a chemical company spun out of Ashland, formerly Hercules. Under Carlyle, Solenis acquired specialty chemical companies, with Carlyle selling its stake to another private equity firm.
The State of Delaware awarded job-based grants to Solenis as a way to keep the company’s headquarters in the state.
Private equity firms are criticized for investing in companies that according to critics prey on the less fortunate.
Biden’s ties to Rubenstein were noted in the New York Post, which took note of the higher price of Thanksgiving dinner and Rubenstein’s criticism of proposals by progressive Democrats like Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who ran against Biden last year.
The Bidens have spent every Thanksgiving on the island since the president was elected to the Senate in the 1970s. Last year was an exception, with the family staying in Delaware, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
