The Billionaire's Crusade
Henry Nicholas III, the billionaire co-founder of semiconductor firm Broadcom, is known for his flamboyant tastes. Beyond the standard trappings of the uber-rich — private jets, multi-million dollar homes, a Lamborghini — there was the 4,000-foot warren of tunnels and lavish man-caves he had built beneath his California mansion.
It’s less well-known that Nicholas is using his fortune to bankroll another pet project: changing state constitutions across the country in the name of victims’ rights.
Six states have now passed some version of Marsy’s Law, which Nicholas shaped and named for his murdered sister. He has spent upwards of $25 million so far, according to campaign filings, and plans to spend millions more in pursuit of his goal: to get the amendment passed across the country and ultimately, onto the U.S. Constitution.
He’s on his way. This November, the measure will be on ballots in five more states: Oklahoma, Nevada, Kentucky, Georgia and Florida. At least five additional states are considering putting Marsy’s Law before voters in upcoming election seasons — efforts backed almost single-handedly by Nicholas.
The measure promises an equal voice for victims in a system where the rights of defendants are constitutionally guaranteed. “We can all agree that no rapist should have more rights than the victim,” the Marsy’s Law website says. It is meant to protect people who have suffered a good deal already, and its appeal to voters is obvious: who is against victims?
But however well-intentioned, Marsy’s Law is drawing criticism from some
