The Kennedy Center is looking for a new CEO.
Billionaire David Rubenstein, whose name and imprimatur is on the Center, the Washington Monument, and many other institutions, is stepping down. At 74, he says he’s had enough and will concentrate on buying the Baltimore Orioles. Because, why not?
Rubenstein is said to be worth $4 billion, all of it derived from his work at the secretive private equity firm, The Carlyle Group, which he founded.
In 2014, Rubenstein made news when he unceremoniously dismissed the beloved creator of the Kennedy Center Honors, producer and director George Stevens Jr. Rubenstein was determined to turn the Honors into something more resembling the Grammy Awards than a real salute to all the arts.
Rubenstein leaving now, before the fall presidential election, makes sense. This way there can be a transition to a Biden- backed successor rather than gamble on something unforeseen happening after the election. Meantime, Deborah Rutter, who’s very popular, will remain CEO.
