Paul Ryan at McCaw Family’s Hunts Point Compound

Vice Presidential Candidate Paul Ryan attended fund raisers in Hunts Point and Medina on September 10, 2012. The $1,000 per person afternoon reception was at the McCaw family’s compound and hosted by Bruce and Jolene McCaw. The Seattle Times reported the two-hour event was attended by more than 200 people. Ryan gave a speech on economic issues and higher paying guests received photos of themselves with Ryan.

The McCaw family purchased the compound in 1999 from Kenny G (4/30/12 post below) in a private transaction estimated at more than $20 million. The two mansions have 15,810 sq ft on 4.3 acres with 327 feet of waterfront, 8 bedrooms and 10.5 baths. Craig and Susan McCaw and their family were (and maybe still are) living here.

Craig was the leader or the world famous McCaw brothers, Bruce (1946- ), Craig (1949- ), John (1951- ) and Keith (1953-2002). Keith and John formerly lived in Madison Park and Bruce sold his Medina Groat Point estate in 2011 (2/13/11 post) and may have moved here. The brothers were the pioneers of the cellular phone industry and sold their company, McCaw Cellular, for $11.5 billion in 1994.

The evening $25,000 per couple event was at undisclosed location in Medina. An earlier in the year event for Mitt Romney (12/29/12 post) was held at the mansion of Peter Neupert, a former Drugstore.com and Microsoft executive. He hosted a similar event in the 1990s for President George W. Bush. Neupert’s mansion is on Evergreen Point Road south of Bill Gates’ campus but not on the water. The mansion is 8,000 sq ft on 5.4 acres which is one of the largest lots in Medina.

President Obama – Bill Gates

Bill Gates supported President Obama with his attendance at the fundraising lunch at the mansion of Jeff and Susan Brotman on February 17, 2012. This event was reported today in The Seattle Times. The Times reported the $17,900 per plate brunch was attended by approximately 70 people. Natalie Cole performed and the lunch was prepared by renowned chef, Tom Douglas. An earlier post has more information on the event.

Gates and Brotman are Medina neighbors with Jeff Bezos’ mansions in between. The Brotman mansion is in the exclusive cove of Medina that includes Nathan Myhrvold’s T-Rex house, Charles Simonyi’s Windows 2000 house and Gary Reed’s former estate. Cruising, boating and viewing this area is featured in Lake Washington Cruising blog posts (5/8/11 and 5/4/11).

Jeff is the Chairman and co-founder of Costco. The mansion, as reported in the New York Times and my earlier post, is known as “Their Art House.”

The A through F letters in the above picture of Gates’ mansion and convention center refer to a “Guide For Viewing Gates’ Mansion From the Water.” The page number on all the above mansion pictures refer to Lake Washington 130 Homes.

Obama – Brotman Brunch

President Obama will return to the Brotmans for a fundraising brunch on February 17, 2012. This was reported in the Seattle Times in an Associated Press article on February 1. The $17,900 per plate brunch will be at the mansion of Jeff and Susan Brotman. The funds will be used for Obama’s reelection campaign and to support the Democratic National Committee. The Brotmans previously hosted a $7,500 per plate Democratic fundraising lunch with Michelle Obama on October 25, 2010. The mansion is in the exclusive cove of Medina that includes Nathan Myhrvold’s T-Rex house, Charles Simonyi’s Window 2000 house and Gary Reed’s former estate. The mansion is on page 98 in Lake Washington 130 Homes.

Jeff is the Chairman and co-founder of Costco. The mansion, as reported in the New York Times, is known as “Their Art House” that includes monumental pieces by Richard Serra and James Turrell. The house was designed by Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects who are known for designing art-galleries-cum-residences. The louvers on the front (water side) and roof of the house adjust to provide the optimum natural light on the extensive art collection.

Jeff Brotman Hosts Michelle Obama

Jeff and Susan Brotman hosted lunch with Michelle Obama at their Medina mansion on October 25, 2010. The lunch was a fundraiser for US Senator Patty Murray’s (Democrat Washington) reelection. Table captains pledged $7500 each. The mansion is in the exclusive cove of Medina that includes Nathan Myhrvold’s T-Rex house, Charles Simonyi’s Window 2000 house and Gary Reed’s former estate. The mansion is on page 98 in Lake Washington 130 Homes.

Jeff is the Chairman and co-founder of Costco. The mansion is also known as “their Art House” that includes monumental pieces by Richard Serra and James Turrell. The house was designed by Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects who are known for designing art-galleries-cum-residences (http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/13/magazine/footnotes-100439.html?pagewanted=2). The louvers on the front (water side) and roof of the house adjust to provide the opitimun natural light on the extensive art collection.

Obama – Murray Fundraiser at Glaser Mansion

The major Seattle fund raiser for President Obama and U.S. Senator Patty Murray on August 17, 2010, was at the new 7,300 sq ft mansion of Rob and Cori Glaser. 60 prominent Democratic donors attended the $10,000 per late luncheon. Rob, a former Microsoft mega-millionaire, started RealNetworks in 1995. He recently retired from his CEO position at the company.

RealNetworks produces music, video and other software for PCs, smart phones, and portable music players. Some of its best known products are RealPlayer and RealRhapsody.

Rob and his wife, Cori, are major Democratic contributors and fund raisers. They were strong financial supporters of Obama’s 2004 U.S Senate campaign.

Glaser owns two similar looking side-by-side mansions in the Madison-Park/Denny-Blaine/Madrona area. The 5,240 sq ft mansion on the left/south was built in 1980 and had a major renovation completed in 2008 when the new 7,300 sq ft mansion on the right/north was completed. This compound was not included in Lake Washington 130 Homes. It is between the McCaw and Rose Mediterranean villas on pages 38 and 40 in the book.