Newport millionaires donate to inauguration

Two local guys named Rick and an oil heiress have all donated hefty chunks of change to President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration Committee.

The first Rick is Newport Beach tech millionaire Rick Aversano, who donated $50,000 to the Obama inauguration bash, according to the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee. The second Rick, chief executive of nursing home giant Sun Healthcare Rick Matros, pitched in $25,000.

The co-founder of Qtera Corp., Aversano and his partners sold the tech startup in 2000 to Nortel Networks Corp. for about $3 billion. Aversano also used to own the Port Theater in Corona del Mar. His worth has been estimated at $250 million. Newport Coast resident Matros has overseen the Fortune 500 company Sun Healthcare since 2001.

Corona del Mar philanthropist Anne Getty Earhart, the heiress of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, also shows up on a list of 2009 presidential inauguration donors. Earhart is the founder of the Orange County-based Marisla Foundation, which gives to Southern Californian environmental groups. Earhart donated $50,000, records show.

Unlike past inaugurations, the Obama transition team wants to finance the festivities with money from individuals instead of corporations or special interest groups.

— Brianna Bailey