Paul Singer

<youtube size="medium" align="right" caption="Greg Palast Exposes How U.S. "Vulture" Funds Make Millions By Exploiting African Nations">g3xMUeATdIE"</youtube>Paul Singer (dob: August 22, 1944) is the founder and president of Elliott Management Corporation, a New York-based hedge fund which is currently worth more than $23 billion.Paul E. Singer Foundation Website Paul Singer. Accessed 22 May 2015. As of 23 June 2015 his net worth was estimated at $1.92 billion.forbes.com #1006 Paul Singer. Accessed 23 May 2015. 
He is also the founder of the Paul E. Singer Foundation a 501(c)(3) non-profit grant making foundation which supports various conservative and pro-Israel causes. Singer graduated from Harvard Law School in 1969 and went on to found Elliott Management in 1977.forbes.com #1006 Paul Singer. Accessed 23 May 2015. He is a major supporter of the Republican party. 
==Investments in distressed debt==
Through the Elliott Management Corporation Singer has invested in distressed sovereign debt and has bet against countries such as Peru, the Congo and Argentina following financial crises. He has succeeded in suing countries in order to get financial returns on his investments. Journalist Greg Palast offers the following description of Singer's activities in this area:
:Recently, former United Nations envoy Winston Tubman suggested I ask Singer or his business associates, "Do you know you're causing babies to die?"
:What does this guy do - put poison in kiddies' milk? Worse: he takes away the milk.
:Singer's modus operandi is to find some forgotten tiny debt owed by a very poor nation (Peru and Congo were on his menu). He waits for the United States and European taxpayers to forgive the poor nations' debts, then waits at bit longer for offers of food aid, medicine and investment loans. Then Singer pounces, legally grabbing at every resource and all the money going to the desperate country. Trade stops, funds freeze and an entire economy is effectively held hostage.
:Singer then demands aid-giving nations pay monstrous ransoms to let trade resume. At BBC TV's Newsnight, we learned that Singer demanded $400 million dollars from the Congo for a debt he picked up for less than $10 million. If he doesn't get his 4,000 percent profit, he can effectively starve the nation. I don't mean that figuratively - I mean starve as in no food. In Congo-Brazzaville last year, one-fourth of all deaths of children under five were caused by malnutrition.Greg Palast, 'Uber-Vultures: The Billionaires Who Would Pick Our President', Truthout, 6 October 2011, accessed 25 June 2015 
In 1995 the company bought defaulted Peruvian bank for $20 million and sued the country for $58 million. Kensington International, a subsidiary of the company bought $30 million in debt owed by Congo-Brazzaville. In 2002 and 2003 the company was awarded more than $100 million in interest. As of November 2011 Singer had reportedly been able to acquire $39 million of the country's oil sales.Staff, 'Vulture funds – the key players', The Guardian,15 November 2011, accessed 23 June 2015 Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has described Singer as a 'vulture'.forbes.com #1006 Paul Singer. Accessed 23 May 2015.
Singer has defended his investments in distressed debt, even claiming to be providing a service by holding nations to ransom:
:In the summer of 2013, Singer told Institutional Investor's Alpha Magazine that forcing debt payment is a Singer-flavored form of activism. "We've made the point over and over again that sovereigns that could pay their debts and choose not to maybe attempting to save some money but are harming their people and their economies by making investing in their countries more risky and more problematic and by discouraging foreign investment." In Singer's view, he isn't just forcing indebted companies and countries to pay up. He's trying to create a world where distressed debt doesn't exist.Jaime Fuller, 'Meet the wealthy donor who’s trying to get Republicans to support gay marriage', The Washington Post, 4 April 2014, accessed 29 June 2015
===Argentina===
NML Capital, a subsidiary of Elliott Capital has gone to extraordinary lengths to extract the $1.6 billion from Argentina awarded to NML Capital by a New York judge. In 2012 NML Capital won an injunction in a Ghanaian court to hold the flagship of the Argentine navy, the ARA Libertad in the port of Tema.Agustino Fontevecchia, 'The Real Story Of How A Hedge Fund Detained A Vessel In Ghana And Even Went For Argentina's 'Air Force One'', The Guardian, 5 October 2012, accessed 25 June 2015 
In response the Argentine foreign ministry said that 'vulture funds had crossed a new limit in their attacks' and that holding the vessel was 'a trick by the unscrupulous financiers.' It was also reported that the ministry stated that the detention of the vessel violated the Vienna Convention's clause on diplomatic immunity.Agustino Fontevecchia, 'The Real Story Of How A Hedge Fund Detained A Vessel In Ghana And Even Went For Argentina's 'Air Force One'', The Guardian, 5 October 2012, accessed 25 June 2015
In December 2012 the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ruled that Ghana's detention of the boat was in violation of international law.International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, 'Tribunal Orders Release of Argentine Frigate', Mother Jones, 15 December 2012, accessed 25 June 2015 
In 2007 a number of bondholders moved to get a court order to detain the Tango 01, the Argentine presidential airplane, and to seize fuel money from the aircraft's pilots.Agustino Fontevecchia, 'The Real Story Of How A Hedge Fund Detained A Vessel In Ghana And Even Went For Argentina's 'Air Force One'', The Guardian, 5 October 2012, accessed 25 June 2015 The Argentine government cancelled the trip having learned of the plan. A trip to Germany was also cancelled due to the Argentine government learning of a similar plan to seize the aircraft. Bondholders have also attempted to acquire compensation through the assets of major Argentine politicians:
:Holdout bondholders have also gone after the assets of prominent Argentine politicians, including Nestor Kirchner, his wife and current president Cristina Kirchner, and 136 members of her administration, including most of the cabinet. In 2010, Singer’s Elliott got Judge Griesa, who consistently rules against Argentina, to ask Bank of America to disclose all information related to their personal accounts. Elliott has even gone after Argentina’s foreign exchange reserves, coming close to seizing $105 million held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.Agustino Fontevecchia, 'The Real Story Of How A Hedge Fund Detained A Vessel In Ghana And Even Went For Argentina's 'Air Force One'', The Guardian, 5 October 2012, accessed 25 June 2015
In 2012 NML Capital and EM (owned by Kenneth Dart) were awarded $23 million from the assets of Argentina’s Banco Hipotecario.Agustino Fontevecchia, 'The Real Story Of How A Hedge Fund Detained A Vessel In Ghana And Even Went For Argentina's 'Air Force One'', The Guardian, 5 October 2012, accessed 25 June 2015
NML Capital was represented in its dispute with the government of Argentina by former solicitor general and Bush v. Gore lawyer Ted Olson.Peter Stone, 'This Vulture-Fund Billionaire Is the GOP's Go-To Guy on Wall Street Meet the hard-charging, warship-seizing hedge fund mogul who has become congressional Republicans' most powerful fundraiser.', Mother Jones, September/October 2013 Issue, accessed 25 June 2015
In 2012, then-Florida representative Connie Mack sponsored a bill to force Argentina to pay $3.5 billion to a number of hedge funds including Elliott Management. A number of Elliott employees were significant supporters of Mack's 2012 Senate campaign. Mack claimed to be unaware of Singer's role regarding Argentine debt.Peter Stone, 'This Vulture-Fund Billionaire Is the GOP's Go-To Guy on Wall Street Meet the hard-charging, warship-seizing hedge fund mogul who has become congressional Republicans' most powerful fundraiser', Mother Jones, September/October 2013 Issue, accessed 25 June 2015
The American Task Force Argentina (ATFA) a lobby group which works to help American investors recoup money from Argentina lists Elliott Associates as one of its national supporters. In 2012 the Wall Street Journal reported that the task torce had spent $3 million in lobbying since 2007. The Argentine ambassador to the United States, Jorge Aguello characterised the task force as 'vulture funds' ...lobby facade' with whose objectives were 'making millions for what they had gotten for mere pennies.'Ianthe Jeanne Dugan, 'Argentine Lobby Mystifies 'Members'', Wall Street Journal, 15 October 2012, accessed 29 June 2015
In 2013, the Inter Press Service reported that Singer was using ATFA to issue press releases and to take out full-page ads in national newspapers regarding Argentine debt.Charles Davis, 'U.S. Hedge Funds Paint Argentina as Ally of Iranian ‘Devil’ – Part Two', Inter Press Service, 31 July 2013, accessed 29 June 2015 IPS also reported that Elliott management had donated funds to politicians who were notably critical of Argentina and who highlighted Argentina's economic ties with Iran in order to damage the credibility of Argentina:
:Senator Mark Kirk, an Illinois Republican, has been a vocal critic of Argentina, writing a letter to the country’s president denouncing her agreement with Iran to investigate the the 1994 bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) in Buenos Aires. That letter was later quoted in an ATFA ad.
:As it turns out, Kirk has received more than 95,000 dollars from employees of Singer’s firm, Elliott Management, according to the Centre for Responsive Politics. Indeed, many letters expressing concern about Argentina’s ties to Iran appear are signed by lawmakers who have received campaign cash from Singer and his close associates.
:A Jul. 10 letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, for instance, urged the Justice Department not to side with Argentina in its legal battle before the Supreme Court, citing both the AMIA agreement and Argentina’s expanding trade with the Islamic Republic “at a time when the rest of the world (including the United States) is attempting to isolate Iran to pressure it to give up its nuclear programme.”
:“Rewarding Argentina’s decision to flout well-established international principles regarding the orderly restructuring of sovereign debt has clearly emboldened its leaders to defy other international norms with impunity,” the 12 lawmakers wrote.
:Those who signed the letter received more than 200,000 dollars last year from companies and PACs tied to Singer.
:One signer, Congressman Michael Grimm, a New York Republican on the House Financial Services Committee, was re-elected to Congress last year after receiving 38,000 dollars from Elliott Management, nearly twice as much as his next largest donor.
:Grimm has co-sponsored legislation demanding “full compensation” for Argentina’s bondholders – the sponsor of that bill, former Congressman Connie Mack, took in 39,000 dollars from Singer’s company – and has urged the Barack Obama administration to investigate Argentina’s relationship with Iran. ATFA has commended Grimm for his work.
:Another lawmaker who signed the letter to Holder is Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Florida Republican who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee. She accuses the Argentine government of colluding with the Islamic Republic to cover up its alleged role in the AMIA bombing and undermining U.S. interests “by giving Iran a larger footprint in the Western Hemisphere”.
:But she isn’t just worried about Iranian-backed terrorism. In a 2012 press release, she said it was “troubling that Argentina refuses to honor its outstanding debts, and evades U.S. court decisions.”
:Ros-Lehtinen received 108,000 dollars last year from the American Unity PAC. The PAC was founded in 2012 with a one-million-dollar investment from Singer, accounting for more than a third of the group’s budget.
:New Jersey Republican Scott Garrett, chair of the House Financial Services subcommittee on capital markets, also signed the letter to Holder. On Jun. 7, 2012, Garrett held a hearing to address the Obama administration’s support for “deadbeat foreign governments . . . at the expense of our own U.S. investors.”
:At the hearing, he decried that “U.S. investors are taking billions of dollars in losses, despite Argentina having the money to pay the bill.”
:Garrett received 35,000 dollars from employees at Elliott Management last year, more than all but one of his other campaign contributors.
:On Jul. 9, a House subcommittee chaired by South Carolina Republican Jeff Duncan held a hearing entitled “Threat to the Homeland: Iran’s Extending Influence in the Western Hemisphere”, the primary purpose of which was to rebut a recent report from the State Department that said Iran’s influence was on the decline.
:Duncan received 10,000 dollars in 2012 from the Every Republican is Crucial PAC, which was heavily supported by the executives of Wall Street hedge funds, including Singer.Charles Davis, 'U.S. Hedge Funds Paint Argentina as Ally of Iranian ‘Devil’ – Part Two', Inter Press Service, 31 July 2013, accessed 29 June 2015
===Greece===
Singer's purchasing of distressed debt has influenced the restructuring of Greek debt:
:Singer’s relentless legal tactics also have cast a shadow over Greece’s sovereign-debt restructuring. It’s no accident that the law firm representing Greece — Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton — is the one that also represents Argentina in its fight with Elliott. “Elliott scares the hell out of the Greeks,” says one investor close to the Greek negotiations.
:Hoping to avoid an Argentina-like battle over central bank reserves, the Greek bond exchange offer specifically stated that such monies could not be used to repay the debt, nor could anything that is considered Greece’s cultural heritage. Then there’s the collective-action clause, which Greece inserted in the new bonds. Since two-thirds of bondholders accepted the deal, all others were required to go along. Argentina’s bonds did not have such a provision. Although there’s some noise about hedge funds holding out on foreign-issued Greek bonds, extracting more from cash-strapped Greece is a long shot. Elliott hasn’t built up a hold-out position in Greek debt, according to an individual close to the firm. Last year it profited instead by trading Greek credit default swaps.Michelle Celarier, 'Mitt Romney's hedge fund kingmaker', Fortune, 26 March 2012, accessed 25 June 2015
==Investment in bankrupt companies==
In an article for Truthout investigative journalist Greg Palast detailed one of Singer's first ventures:
:Singer's first big vulture attack was on American asbestos victims.
:Background: The executives of three companies - vermiculate mine operator WR Grace, wallboard manufacturer USG and building materials company Owens Corning - knew that asbestos exposure in their respective operations was killing their workers. When caught and sued, the companies filed for bankruptcy, agreeing to pay almost all of their earnings to the people who were dying and injured by their asbestos.
:But Singer had a better idea. These companies, as you can imagine, were worth next to nothing, and Singer bought Owens Corning for a song.
:If he could cut the amount paid to the victims, Singer could boost Corning's value big time. So, a public relations campaign began, attacking the dying workers, saying they were all faking it.
:One attacker was a guy named George W. Bush.
:In January 2005, President Dubya held a televised meeting to promote an "expert" who pronounced that over half a million workers suing Singer's industry were liars. If workers couldn't breathe, he said to the grinning president, it wasn't the fault of asbestos.
:The "expert" was not a doctor, but, notably, his "research" was partly funded by ... Paul Singer. And so was Bush. Since the death of Enron's Ken Lay, Singer and his vulture flock at Singer's hedge fund, Elliott International, had become the top contributors to the Republican National Committee. It's hard to measure his largesse exactly because some of that help comes in through the side door. For example, Singer put money behind the Swift Boat smear on Bush's opponent, John Kerry.
:The legal, political and public relations attacks on the dying workers chiseled away the compensation expected to be paid by the asbestos companies, boosting their net worth. Singer then flipped Corning, selling it for a neat billion-dollar profit.
:It's legal. It's brilliant. It's sick. It's Singer.Greg Palast, 'Uber-Vultures: The Billionaires Who Would Pick Our President', Truthout, 6 October 2011, accessed 25 June 2015 
Singer profited from the collapse of Lehman Brothers by 'buying up both private and public claims across the Lehman capital structure...'Michelle Celarier, 'Mitt Romney's hedge fund kingmaker', Fortune, 26 March 2012, accessed 25 June 2015
In 2009, Singer took control of Delphi Automotive, a major supplier of car parts for General Motors and Chrysler, then both bankrupt. Singer and his co-investors reportedly demanded that the US Treasury pay them billions of dollars in cash or they would shut off GM and Chrysler's access to parts likely forcing them into liquidation. Singer's consortium were subsequently granted $12.9 billion dollars in cash and subsidies from the auto bailout fund of the US Treasury. Elliott Management made some $1.29 billion. Singer later shut down 25 of the 29 Delphi car part plants and outsourced 25,000 Delphi jobs to Asia.Greg Palast, 'How Barack Obama could end the Argentina debt crisis', The Guardian, 7 August 2014, accessed 25 June 2015
==Position on LGBT Rights==
Singer is a noted supporter of gay rights.forbes.com #1006 Paul Singer. Accessed 23 May 2015. However, the Paul E. Singer foundation funds the Philos Project, a Christian Zionist organisation that has close links with the Institute on Religion and Democracy. Members of the latter organisation, such as Janice Shaw Crouse propagate vehemently homophobic views.
In 2012 Singer donated $1 million to Freedom to Marry, a bipartisan gay marriage advocacy group.Dan Eggen, 'The Influence Industry: While GOP opposes gay marriage, key donors fund the other side', The Washington Post, 22 August 2012, accessed 25 June 2015
The same year Singer created the American Unity PAC, a super PAC focused on supporting Republican congressional candidates who support marriage equality. and provided a large donation. The super PAC spent $2million on congressional races.Sean Sullivan, 'Meet the billionaire hedge fund manager quietly shaping the GOP gay marriage debate', The Washington Post, 3 May 2013, accessed 25 June 2015 Amongst the donors to the new super PAC was hedge fund manager Seth A. Klarman, who has been described by journalist Max Blumenthal as 'one of the pro-Israel community’s most prolific financial angels and also one of its most ideologically hardline.'Max Blumenthal, "American Task Force on Palestine finds funding from anti-Palestinian billionaire and a repressive monarchy," Mondoweiss, 27 Nov 2013 Dan Eggen, 'The Influence Industry: While GOP opposes gay marriage, key donors fund the other side', The Washington Post, 22 August 2012, accessed 25 June 2015
==Political contributions and campaigning==
In 2014 Singer was the third biggest political donor (excluding outside spending groups) in the United States. That year he donated $10,622,824 to conservative politicians.OpenSecrets.org 2014 Top Donors to Outside Spending Groups. Accessed 25 June 2015. He is considered to be one of the most influential Republican Party donors:
:In recent years Singer has emerged as a quiet force in the Republican Party. He’s one of a handful of moneymen who have given $1 million to the Romney super PAC “Restore the Future,” which so far has raised $37 million and spent some $34 million. Singer has also donated more than $220,000 to 31 Republicans in national races across the country since Barack Obama became President. Over the past three years he has given nearly $2 million to Republicans in local races in states as far-flung as Florida, Michigan, California, and Texas. But his value goes far beyond his own deep pockets. Singer is known as a major Republican “bundler,” with a large network of rich donors ready to follow his lead. “All the candidates come to pick his brain,” says one party insider.
:Many in the East Coast elite wing of the party also view Singer as an intellectual with the tenacious spirit necessary to help them turn back the clock on regulation and resist higher taxes on the wealthy. “Paul Singer is a philosopher-king type of person,” says Anthony Scaramucci, the Skybridge Capital managing partner who, as Mitt Romney’s finance co-chair, worked hard to get Singer to swing his support behind his candidate. Michelle Celarier, 'Mitt Romney's hedge fund kingmaker', Fortune, 26 March 2012, accessed 25 June 2015 
He has donated funds to the following Political Action Committees: American Unity PAC, Ending Spending Action Fund, American Futuhre Fund, B-PAC, Arkansas Horizon, Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund, Priorities for Iowa, Unlocking Potential PAC, Congressional Leadership Fund, New York 2014, Campaign for Jobs and Accountability, John Bolton Super PAC, and the USA Super PAC.OpenSecrets.org Singer, Paul E.: Donor Detail. Accessed 25 June 2015.
Singer was a major contributor to the pro-Mitt Romney superPAC Restore Our Future during Romney's presidential run. Singer donated $1 million to the superPAC.New Hampshire Public Radio SuperDonor Backs Romney — And Gay Marriage. Accessed 23 May 2015. Singer was reportedly instrumental in the selection of Paul Ryan as Mitt Romney's 2012 running mate.Peter Stone, 'This Vulture-Fund Billionaire Is the GOP's Go-To Guy on Wall Street Meet the hard-charging, warship-seizing hedge fund mogul who has become congressional Republicans' most powerful fundraiser.', Mother Jones, September/October 2013 Issue, accessed 25 June 2015 Singer's close associate Dan Senor was one of the Romney/Ryan campaign's top foreign policy staffers. Senor is a board member of the Christian Zionist Philos Project (for which Singer is a major financial backer) and a director of the Paul E. Singer Foundation.Peter Stone, 'This Vulture-Fund Billionaire Is the GOP's Go-To Guy on Wall Street Meet the hard-charging, warship-seizing hedge fund mogul who has become congressional Republicans' most powerful fundraiser.', Mother Jones, September/October 2013 Issue, accessed 25 June 2015 
Singer was a major backer of Rudy Giuliani's 2008 Republican Party primary race and served as his east coast campaign chairman. He donated $172,950 to Giuliani in 2007 and leased one of his private planes to him.David S. Rosen, 'Romney Attracts More of Bush's Top Donors Than Rivals ', Bloomberg, 20 July 2007, accessed 23 June 2015
Singer has reportedly provided significant sums to the Koch brothers 'dark-money projects' and to the Club for Growth, an anti-tax pro-tea party organisation that has helped to remove a number of mainstream Republicans from office.Peter Stone, 'This Vulture-Fund Billionaire Is the GOP's Go-To Guy on Wall Street Meet the hard-charging, warship-seizing hedge fund mogul who has become congressional Republicans' most powerful fundraiser.', Mother Jones, September/October 2013 Issue, accessed 25 June 2015 Singer has also donated to Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS and has approached Susan Ralston, former aide to Rove and disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff to aid fundraising efforts.Peter Stone, 'This Vulture-Fund Billionaire Is the GOP's Go-To Guy on Wall Street Meet the hard-charging, warship-seizing hedge fund mogul who has become congressional Republicans' most powerful fundraiser.', Mother Jones, September/October 2013 Issue, accessed 25 June 2015
In April 2015 it was reported that Singer was fundraising for Marco Rubio's Republican presidential campaign:
:Singer helping Rubio is a coup in the quest for donors among 2016 candidates, as Singer is known for being extraordinarily active in terms of pushing his wealthy friends to also support the candidates and causes he does.Mathew Boyle, 'MEGADONOR PAUL SINGER FUNDRAISING FOR MARCO RUBIO', Breitbart, 13 April 2015, accessed 25 June 2015
In April 2015 Rubio was a featured guest at an event held at Singer's New York residence attended by Republican foreign policy hawks.Rosie Gray, 'NYC Hedge-Fund Rubio Wooed Pro-Israel Crowd At Paul Singer’s House', BuzzFeednews, 7 April 2015, accessed 26 June 2015
In May 2015, The Wall Street Journal reported that Singer was due to host two events for potential presidential candidates John Kasich and Chris Christie.Heather Haddon, 'NYC Hedge-Fund Manager to Host Manhattan Events for Christie, Kasich', The Wall Street Journal, 15 May 2015, accessed 25 June 2015
In May 2015, Singer hosted a meet-and-greet event for presidential hopeful Jeb Bush.Staff, 'White House hopeful Jeb Bush turns to George W. for Israel advice', Jerusalem Post, 9 May 2015, accessed 29 June 2015
==Foundation donations==
In 2009 Singer donated $1,100,000 to the American Enterprise Institute.Eli Clifton, 'The Secret Foreign Donor Behind the American Enterprise Institute', The Nation, 25 June 2013, accessed 25 June 2015
In August 2013, Salon reported that Singer had donated $3.6 million to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.Eli Clifton, 'Home Depot founder’s quiet $10 million right-wing investment', Salon, 5 August 2013, accessed 26 June 2015
==Israel==
In May 2008 Singer visited Israel as part of President George W. Bush's special delegation to Israel's 60th anniversary celebrations.Eli Lake, 'Bush Visit May Boost Olmert', New York Sun, 23 June 2015, accessed 4 February 2015
In April 2012, Singer accompanied New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on another trip to Israel. Other members of Christie's entourage included close associates of singer such as Annie Dickerson, Dan Senor and Wendy Senor Singer. The visit was co-sponsored by the Republican Jewish Coalition.Jenna Portnoy, 'As Christie toured Israel, an elite slice of New Jersey tagged along', nj.com, 8 April 2012, accessed 29 June 2015 
The same year Singer was in Jerusalem to attend a meeting with presidential hopeful Mitt Romney at a meeting of 40 wealthy donors at the King David Hotel.Staff, 'Romney outrages Palestinians by saying Jewish culture helps make Israel more successful ', Daily News, 30 July 2012, accessed 29 June 2015 
At the annual World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland, Singer attended a breakfast talk by Israeli cybersecurity expery Nadav Zafrir, former commander of the Israel Defense Forces' technology and intelligence unit, 8200, and founder of the IDF's Cyber Command. After leaving the IDF Zafrir co-founded Team8 Cyber Security Venture Creation. Other attendees at the breakfast included Avi Hasson, chief scientist of the Israeli Economy Minister and New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman who moderated the event.Peter Coy, 'An Israeli Cyber Warrior Puts a Scare Into CEOs at Davos', Bloomberg Business, 22 January 2015, accessed 29 June 2015
Singer is the co-founder of Start-Up Nation Central, an Israeli non-profit that promotes Israeli technology. The Executive Director of the organisation is Wendy Senor Singer, also head of AIPAC's Jerusalem office, sister of Dan Senor and wife of Saul Singer.Peter Coy, 'An Israeli Cyber Warrior Puts a Scare Into CEOs at Davos', Bloomberg Business, 22 January 2015, accessed 29 June 2015
Dan Senor and Saul Singer were the co-authors of a book published by Hachette Book Group of New York, under the Council on Foreign Relations imprint in 2009 entitled Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle.Amazon.com Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle. Accessed 29 June 2015.
During Israel's assault on Gaza in 2014 (Operation Protective Edge) Singer characterised Palestine solidarity rallies in Paris as 'pogroms' in a leaked email to colleagues:
:These are not “demonstrations.” They are pogroms. The list of cities and countries in Europe where you cannot safely walk the streets wearing any indicia of being Jewish is growing. It will be interesting to see the pace of the Jewish depopulation of Europe. I suppose it will be guided by official response to these pogroms. A good indication will be the extent to which local police just pay lip service to protecting the life and property of Jews, versus cracking the heads of the rioters. So far my impression is that the governments are signaling (by their despicable double standard applied to Israel in official statements and at the UN) that it is ok to be anti-Semitic, but they are more or less trying (sort of) to protect their citizens. Since official anti-Semitism in Europe is rising, we can expect overt statements and acts of citizens (not just Muslims, but also the left side of the political spectrum as well as the hard-right) to get worse and worse to the Jews. It is hard to know what will stem the tide. The only “good” news is that the non-Muslim populations of these countries are in a fantasy world thinking that it is only the Jews in their countries who are the targets of Muslim radicals.Staff, 'Paul Singer Notes Rich Irony Of French Riots', ValueWalk, 22 July 2014, accessed 29 June 2015
The following day Singer sent another email advocating continued Israeli occupation of the West Bank in the name of security:
:The broader implications of the Gaza War are gradually coming into view... While the range and accuracy of the Hamas and Hezbollah missiles have been known to be inexorably improving, the extension of that range to Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem (in effect, all of Israel) has apparently taken the population by surprise. Nobody could possibly have flown into Israel in the last few decades and not looked out the window at Israel, the West Bank and Gaza and not wondered what the risk was in landing or taking off in such a vulnerable place. And now we know for a fact, and viscerally, that the threat of Hamas and Hezbollah rockets is actually to all of Israel and to the country’s very existence.
:And now it is also viscerally clear what the difference is between the West Bank and Gaza, in terms of Israeli military access and presence to prevent terrorist infrastructure from unfettered freedom to build rockets, tunnels, explosives shops.
:The bottom line is just about what Dershowitz surmises. Israel is not withdrawing its troops and supervision over the West Bank, nor handing it to third parties. Nor throwing out the Jews. We only have a couple of more years of the Kerry/Obama nonsense, and hopefully the next Administration in the U.S. has a more realistic appraisal of the Palestinians, and the need to give Israel room to protect itself.Staff, 'Paul Singer Notes Rich Irony Of French Riots', ValueWalk, 22 July 2014, accessed 29 June 2015
The Paul E. Singer Foundation is one of the funders of A Wider Bridge, an Israeli LGBT rights group which has been accused of 'pinkwashing' Israel's international image. A Wider Bridge Website Our Funders. Accessed 30 June 2015. Toshio Meronek, 'Exposing Israel’s ‘Pinkwashing’', Common Dreams, 23 June 2014, accessed 30 June 2015
===Christian Zionism===
SInger's Paul E. Singer Foundation is a core funder of the Philos Project, a Christian Zionist organisation based in New York.Jewish Funders Network International Conference Website Paul E. Singer Foundation. Accessed 23 June 2015.
Singer is reported to be the largest Jewish funder of Covenant Journey an organisation which facilitates trips to Israel:
:A Covenant Journey tour of Israel is unlike any other, as it is designed specifically to motivate its participants to discover and affirm their Christian identity through an experiential journey and educational experience of Biblical, historic, and modern Israel, providing participants with the ability to advocate for Israel upon their return.Alice Bach, 'New program provides ‘birthright’ trips for US evangelicals to visit the holy land', Mondoweiss, 16 June 2015, accessed 4 February 2015 Covenant Journey Website Join us on one of the Covenant Journey trips to Israel. Accessed 26 June 2015.
Speaking at the American Israeli embassy's 'Annual Christian Solidarity Event' in May 2015, Singer commented that:
:By enabling Christian students to visit the land of Israel and see it firsthand, Covenant Journey is raising up a generation that will not only be stronger in their faith, but will also be introduced to the real-life people who live there. The students will discover ancient Israel and modern Israel at the same time... And for me, as Jew, that’s huge. At this point Covenant Journey has become part of my journey, and I’m proud to say that I support everything that it stands for. I truly believe that Jews, Christians, and all of Western civilization will be reaping the fruit of this project for years to come...Anav Silverman, 'New Taglit type program launches for Christian college students', Jerusalem Post, 12 May 2015, accessed 29 June 2015
==Iran==
Singer is a major donor to The Israel Project, described by journalist Eli Clifton as 'one of the shrillest opponents of diplomacy with Iran'. In February 2015, Clifton reported that between October 2012 and September 2013 Singer and Richard Perry accounted for more than one-third of The Israel Project's total revenue.Eli Clifton, 'Who Are the Billionaires Attacking Obama’s Iran Diplomacy?', The Nation, 3 February 2015, accessed 26 June 2015
Singer also sits on the board of the neoconservative Republican Jewish Coalition and has donated $3.6 million to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies which has advocated for 'crippling sanctions; and airstrikes against Iran.Eli Clifton, 'Who Are the Billionaires Attacking Obama’s Iran Diplomacy?', The Nation, 3 February 2015, accessed 26 June 2015 Singer has also donated to the American Enterprise Insitute which, as Eli Clifton reports, 'perpetually decry Iran diplomacy in tandem with calls for more hawkish measures.'Eli Clifton, 'Who Are the Billionaires Attacking Obama’s Iran Diplomacy?', The Nation, 3 February 2015, accessed 26 June 2015
==Criticism of the Federal Reserve==
At the World Economic Forum in January 2015 Singer accused the US Federal Reserve of fostering economic inequality through quantitive easing:
:On Wednesday during a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Singer continued his attack on the Fed’s policies. He said that the Fed’s quantitative easing bond buying program has been the main driver of income inequality and is exacerbating social instability around the world.
:“Inequality is a function of the government’s policies,” said Singer. “There is no question that QE is adding to it.”
:Singer admitted that while the U.S. has experienced inequality before, but he said that the players involved in the past were different. He argued that the fact that current inequality is being driven by a rise in investment is clear evidence that the Fed is responsible.Stephen Gandel, 'Paul Singer: The Fed is causing inequality', Fortune, 21 January 2015, accessed 23 June 2015
==Opposition to financial regulation==
Singer supports the repeal of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act:Peter Stone, 'This Vulture-Fund Billionaire Is the GOP's Go-To Guy on Wall Street Meet the hard-charging, warship-seizing hedge fund mogul who has become congressional Republicans' most powerful fundraiser.', Mother Jones, September/October 2013 Issue, accessed 25 June 2015
:Among Elliott's allies is Rep. Scott Garrett, the New Jersey Republican who chairs the House subcommittee that oversees the Securities and Exchange Commission. Garrett has fought to slash the SEC budget and calls Dodd-Frank "unconstitutional." In 2010, Elliott executives ponied up nearly $200,000 for two campaign committees that helped Garrett and also boosted his stature with fellow Republicans; a large chunk of one of the committees' funds went to assist other members. Singer and other Elliott execs have also opened their wallets wide for Cantor, who has led efforts to protect a massive tax break, known as carried interest, that allows hedge funders to pay very low capital-gains rates on their income.Peter Stone, 'This Vulture-Fund Billionaire Is the GOP's Go-To Guy on Wall Street Meet the hard-charging, warship-seizing hedge fund mogul who has become congressional Republicans' most powerful fundraiser.', Mother Jones, September/October 2013 Issue, accessed 25 June 2015
==Swift boat veterans for truth==
During the 2004 presidential election campaign cycle Singer raised Wall Street funds for the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the organisation that attacked presidential hopeful John Kerry's war record in Vietnam.Peter Stone, 'This Vulture-Fund Billionaire Is the GOP's Go-To Guy on Wall Street Meet the hard-charging, warship-seizing hedge fund mogul who has become congressional Republicans' most powerful fundraiser.', Mother Jones, September/October 2013 Issue, accessed 25 June 2015
==California voting system==
In September 2007, Singer was revealed to be the sole donor to Take Initiative America, an organisation created to promote a proposed ballot measure that would shift California's winner-takes-all electoral college voting system to a system that likely benefit Republicans:
:The Presidential Election Reform Act would have changed the winner-take-all election rules for the 55 electoral votes in Democratic-leaning California. It would have required the electoral votes to be distributed based on the popular vote winner in each congressional district. Many political observers said that would probably have provided an unexpected windfall for Republicans - perhaps as many electoral votes as could be gained in a major state such as Ohio or Pennsylvania - and possibly changed the outcome of the 2008 presidential election.Carla Marinucci, 'Giuliani fundraiser gave big bucks to state ballot measure', SFGate, 28 September 2007, accessed 25 June 2015
Since Singer was intimately involved in Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign Democrats accused the Giuliani campaign of money laundering and seeking to effect the outcome of the presidential election:
:"This puts this money-laundering operation right inside the Giuliani campaign ... with Rudy's top donor and his closest confidants," said Chris Lehane, a Democratic strategist and spokesman for Californians for Fair Election Reform, which fought the GOP-backed ballot measure.
:"Federal election law is clear. If you're a presidential candidate, you or your agents can't direct money to a campaign that impacts the presidential campaign ... and there's no better way to rig the campaign than to impact the electoral college system."Carla Marinucci, 'Giuliani fundraiser gave big bucks to state ballot measure', SFGate, 28 September 2007, accessed 25 June 2015
==External resources==
*Greg Palast, Who hatched Rubio?, Blog at GregPalast.com, 4 February 2016
==Affiliations==
*Manhattan Institute - Chairman of the Board
 
*Elliott Management Corporation - Founder and President
*Paul E. Singer Foundation - Founder
*Commentary Magazine - Board Member
*Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs - former Board Member
*Republican Jewish Coalition - Board Member
==Notes==
Singer, Paul
Singer, Paul
Singer, Paul