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Nick Says ‘Yes’ to Politics, ‘No’ to Political Office

He’s a billionaire. He’s ruggedly handsome, muscular, Republican, with an outsized personality and a devotion to education; all he lacks is the Austrian accent. And in his first foray into politics, he just spent two frantic weeks and $3.5 million successfully turning Proposition 66,the “three strikes” amendment,from a winner into a loser. He worked closely with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, former governors, law enforcement, relatives of murder victims and an array of media. He spent the wee hours of a Saturday in the Long Beach garage of Orgy guitarist Ryan Shuck, cutting radio spots and exchanging barbs with, and gaining admiration for, Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown. No surprise, then, that Broadcom founder Nick Nicholas is being told he should run for political office. Nicholas says he won’t: “I do not have the ability to not say what I think.” Which he quickly demonstrates as he explains his “Darwinistic” philosophy: “I think we should take more oil-bearing nations, try out all of our weapons,” he said with a chuckle. But Nicholas, who had limited his largesse to charities (including victims’ rights groups in memory of a murdered sister), says he’ll now begin funding some political causes, too. “A cause is a cause. It’s pretty stupid of me to let the IRS determine what is philanthropic.” Since resigning as Broadcom CEO in early 2003, Nicholas’ main cause has been fixing his marriage: “I love my wife, I love my family. So far, so good. I get easier to live with each passing day.” He calls new Broadcom CEO Scott McGregor “a god” (see page 49). And Nicholas says he’d whip Arnold in an arm-wrestling contest. Nicholas’ go-to guy on the anti-Prop 66 campaign: consultant and former L.A. Times exec Bob Magnuson Ameriquest chief Roland Arnall was another big,and winning,spender in last week’s election. The Wall Street Journal says he gave $5 million to Republicans, among industrialists second only to Boon Pickens’ $5.5 million John Withers, kidding about a line of people outside the polling place in the Irvine Marriott: “They have to sit through a timeshare presentation before they can vote” Moving up: Financial Times ranks UC Irvine’s Executive MBA program 10th best in the U.S. and 22nd in the world It’s Hal Landon’s 25th year as Scrooge on the South Coast Repertory stage, Dec. 3 to 26 Dr. Mike Glueck took Manhattan again, kibitzing with Paul Shaffer in David Letterman’s Green Room and sitting in front of Bono at the musical “Wicked” At the standing-room-only, executive-studded kickoff of his OC Technology Action Network in the Westin South Coast Plaza, Tom Moebus wore a business suit, a big smile,and a Red Sox baseball cap. His beloved Sox became the world champs the day before. “Tom believes if the Red Sox can win the World Series, we can do anything,” quipped OCTANe cofounder Dwight Decker.

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