The Man Who Made $500,000 Off Trump’s Win
A mini-episode of Unorthodox with Bob Barnes, a Trump supporter who bet big on the Republican nominee
Hi, Unorthodox listeners, it’s Mark here. During this past election season, I had exactly one Facebook friend who was posting pro-Trump material. His name was Bob Barnes, and he was a guy I had gone to college with for two years. At Yale, in the mid-’90s, Bob was widely known on campus as the anti-elitist southern populist—tribune of poor, rural white folk, as it were. Although he had attended a private school (on scholarship), and was well-liked at Yale, he was always ambivalent about … well, about people like me: a preppy, a legacy, a liberal. Bob thought there were too many of me at Yale, and not enough of him, a point he made articulately, and forcefully, in campus publications. His politics were, in true populist fashion, both to the left of mine and to the right of mine. He hated elitists, including most conservatives. But he also hated liberals.
Anyway, he left in the fall of junior year, transferring to the University of Tennessee. I found the Yale Daily News article about his departure—here it is, from November 1994:
I always wondered what happened to him. We reconnected about six months ago—on Facebook, of course—and I discovered that he had remained a colorful character. He is a lawyer in Los Angeles, best known for getting Wesley Snipes an acquittal in his tax avoidance case a few years back.
Barnes is also something of a professional gambler. He guessed right on Trump, and when I reached him—for this special episode of Unorthodox—he was in London collecting $500,000 in winnings—Trump was getting 4-1 odds across the pond.
Related: Unorthodox
Unorthodox is a smart, fresh, fun weekly take on Jewish news and culture hosted by Mark Oppenheimer, Stephanie Butnick, and Liel Leibovitz. You can listen to individual episodes here or subscribe on iTunes.
- UnorthodoxShaken, Not SchnorredEp. 405: Interviews with Brett Gelman, Zibby Owens, and The Sporkful’s Dan Pashman, plus news of a Jewish James BondMarch 28, 2024
- UnorthodoxA Beautifully Jewish ShabbatEp. 404: Dishing on the day of rest with cookbook author Adeena Sussman and Judaica designer Micaela Ezra; plus a taste of Tablet’s new parsha podcastMarch 21, 2024
- UnorthodoxIrrefutably JewishEp. 403: Phil Rosenthal on writing a children’s book with his daughter Lily; a classical Jewish school in New York City; Oscar meshugas; and moreMarch 14, 2024
- UnorthodoxSpiritual Swear JarEp. 402: Eylon Levy on crafting Israel’s message; Andrew Goldberg on Armenia; plus Joshua Malina, pickleball icon March 7, 2024
- UnorthodoxWe Can HelpEp. 401: AJC CEO Ted Deutch on antisemitism in America, a visit to a Brooklyn school welcoming Ukrainian refugees, our new favorite children’s book, and a visit from Kosha DillzFebruary 22, 2024
- UnorthodoxKosher FiestaEp. 400: Dr. Phil on his new TV network; plus a look at how Israel’s Maaleh Film School is pivoting post-Oct. 7; and a listener question about tablewareFebruary 15, 2024
- UnorthodoxSlam DunkEp. 399: NBA All-Star Allan Houston’s new faith initiative, and revisiting the Michael Milken trialFebruary 8, 2024
- UnorthodoxHigher GroundEp. 398: Jewish actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler on 25 years since ‘The Sopranos,’ plus a visit to try Israel’s best hummus dishFebruary 1, 2024
- UnorthodoxThings RememberedEp. 397: Uncovering a tale of complicity and justice, sonic studies, and a little red dress for International Holocaust Remembrance Day January 25, 2024
- Unorthodox100 DaysEp. 396: Marking a grim milestone since the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre and honoring the hostages still held in GazaJanuary 18, 2024
- UnorthodoxFirst DraftsEp. 395: Kicking off 2024 with comedian Moshe KasherJanuary 11, 2024
- UnorthodoxHeading NorthEp. 394: A visit to Jewish Montreal; Gadi Taub on ‘Israel Update’; getting Kafkaesque at the National Library of IsraelDecember 28, 2023
- UnorthodoxUnorthodox in IsraelStories recorded on the ground from a country mourning, healing, and coming togetherDecember 18, 2023
- UnorthodoxMidnight OilEp. 393: Nine stories for HanukkahDecember 14, 2023
- UnorthodoxShine BrightEp. 392: Celebrating the beauty of Hanukkah with Jonathan Adler, Homegrown Kosher, and moreDecember 7, 2023
- UnorthodoxEveryday HeroesEp. 391: Bernard-Henri Lévy’s new film about Ukraine, and Brooke Eby on raising awareness about ALSNovember 30, 2023
- UnorthodoxSitting TogetherEp. 390: A Beautifully Jewish Thanksgiving, featuring an iconic folding chair and a conversation with knitwear designer Inbal GrossNovember 22, 2023
- UnorthodoxDark Times, Bright LightsEp. 389: Reporting from the March for Israel in Washington, D.C.; Etgar Keret’s writer’s block; LeElle Slifer on advocating for her kidnapped Israeli cousins; and Tablet’s Hanukkah BazaarNovember 16, 2023