Baltimore Orioles owners David Rubenstein has been under fire from a significant portion of the teams fan base recently. After taking over the team prior to the 2024 season, along with an ownership team with extraordinary wealth, Rubenstein and the front office have failed to land a top tier free agent. As much as Rubenstein cares about the Orioles and their fans, Saturday was a day for something even bigger.
On Saturday Rubenstein was one of 19 people who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Biden. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest award that a civilian can receive and “The Medal may be awarded by the President as provided in this order to any person who has made an especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States, or (2) world peace, or (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.” People are either nominated or recommended for the award but the President can also select a person he feels meet the criteria. It is unknown if Rubenstein was nominated or President Biden selected him.
The medal was re-established in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy and has now been awarded 672 times. President Biden, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2017, has now issued 57 of them. I doubt Rubenstein’s merits as a baseball owner qualified him for the medal, so how did Rubenstein comes to President Biden’s attention?
Rubenstein has spent hundreds of millions of dollars purchasing historical documents that he has lent out to museums, restored libraries, theaters and historical sites, and donated much of that money to help schools and universities. He continues to give back and former Declaration Capitol, a company dedicated to helping entrepreneurs get businesses started. He’s written books to help people in business and investing, and at 75 years old has the time and energy to host two TV shows about business and a podcast about history on top of his duties as a founder of The Carlyle Group and owner of the Orioles.
This award was well deserved for Rubenstein. There is nothing that he has set his mind to that he has not accomplished. Rubenstein has said he wants to keep this young team together and win a World Series in Baltimore. I have no doubts that he will achieve that goal as well.
