Who Are the Boston Brahmins? Kristin Cabot’s Ties to New England’s Elite Amid Coldplay Kiss‑Cam Scandal
Kristin Cabot—HR Chief caught in Coldplay’s Kiss‑Cam scandal—is married into Boston’s historic Brahmin elite. Learn about the lineage, legacy, and influence of this exclusive class
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In the wake of the viral kiss-cam moment at Coldplay’s July 16 concert featuring Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR Chief Kristin Cabot, attention has turned toward Cabot’s lineage: she’s married into Boston’s famed Brahmin elite. Dubbed “the Brahmin caste of New England,” this group comprises America’s oldest upper-crust families—descendants of Puritan settlers—whose wealth and influence shaped Boston’s political, cultural, and educational institutions.
The Boston Brahmin Identity
Coined by Oliver Wendell Holmes in 1861, the term likens these elites to India’s Brahmin caste—denoting status and privilege.
Known for their unwavering values: discipline, philanthropy, cultural sophistication, and exclusivity—often resisting social integration.
Prominent Brahmin surnames include Adams, Cabot, Eliot, Lowell, and Lodge, who were integral in founding Harvard, charitable institutions, and maintaining Boston’s aristocratic reputation.
Kristin Cabot & the Cabot Dynasty
Kristin Cabot is married to Andrew Cabot, a sixth-generation member of the Cabot lineage and CEO of Privateer Rum. The family’s ancestral wealth includes industries like shipping and carbon-black production.
A well-known Boston rhyme captures their prestige:
“Where the Lowells talk only to Cabots / And the Cabots talk only to God.”
This encapsulates the aura of aloof refinement surrounding the Brahmin class.
In light of the scandal, Austen’s spotlight on her family’s status sheds more light on the rarefied world she’s connected to—making the current controversy feel all the more sensational.
Public intrigue: The scandal’s fallout intensified due to Cabot's lineage, intensifying media scrutiny.
Class lens: The episode acts a reminder of how elite status—once cloaked—can resurface publicly.
Power dynamics: In workplaces like Astronomer, the collision of career and elite marriage invites deeper questions around privilege, perception, and accountability.
