劳拉和约翰
阿诺德基金会
自2008年以来，何时约翰和劳拉阿诺德这对夫妇在休斯顿创造了劳拉和约翰阿诺德基金会，已成为退休改革辩论中无处不在的存在。阿诺德已经为各国通过其基金会提供了改革努力，同时私下为他们同意的候选人提供政治贡献。Arnold, 41, grew up in Dallas and graduated with a degree in mathematics and economics from Vanderbilt University before joining Houston energy company Enron Corp. He made his fortune on Enron’s natural-gas trading desk, then, after the company collapsed in December 2001, launched an energy-focused hedge fund firm, Centaurus Advisors. Arnold closed the firm in 2012 so he and his wife, Laura, a corporate lawyer, could dedicate themselves to philanthropy. Pensions, a key focus of the foundation, along with prison and educational reform, evolved from their interest in public sector issues where they felt their money, estimated at $2.6 billion, could have the greatest impact. The Arnolds are not without their critics, in part because of the Enron connection. Many public sector unions contend that the youthful-looking John Arnold has a right-wing, union-bashing agenda. The foundation’s pension expert, Josh McGee, who is also a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, disagrees, insisting the Arnolds are merely promoting good public policy. The foundation surprised some of its detractors by supporting initiatives in California and Connecticut to create retirement funds for private sector workers not currently in pension savings plans. In August the foundation released a white paper on Houston’s public employee retirement plan that has triggered debate in the oil-dependent city and across Texas. “We’ve always cared about retirement policy,” says McGee. “We like good policy.”
