The other big LSU football donor

Holden Spaht reportedly ranks among the LSU football program’s top donors. But even his gifts totaling millions represent only a small fraction of his estimated $4.9 billion net worth, according to Forbes.

Spaht is a managing partner at Thoma Bravo, a San Francisco-based private equity firm focused on software companies. He leads the firm’s software investment strategy and has led several of its largest transactions.

A Baton Rouge native, Spaht grew up an LSU fan and graduated from Episcopal School. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in economics from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

He and his wife, fellow Baton Rouge native Claire (Morris) Spaht, established the Spaht Family Foundation. Also an Episcopal graduate, Claire earned bachelor’s degrees in studio art and art history from SMU and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of North Carolina.

Their foundation supports causes related to climate, mental health and the arts. Its public IRS filings show multimillion-dollar grants to Dartmouth and SMU.

LSU football’s other billionaire donor is more well known, but also didn’t attend the Baton Rouge university.

Todd Graves' worth, according to Forbes, is $22 billion. That's for two important reasons: He owns most of the restaurants instead of franchising them, and the units are among the most profitable in the fast food franchise sector. With total units approaching 1,000, revenue for Cane's is around $6 billion, with EBITDA approaching $1 billion.

Graves graduated from the University of Georgia, but opened his first Cane’s at the North Gates of LSU. 

Spaht and Graves have Episcopal in common. Graves graduated in 1990, Spaht in 1992.