"Are you passionate, or are you an addict?" Soledad O'Brien asks Missouri investor, philanthropist, and political backer Rex Sinquefield in the teaser for HBO's latest episode of Real Sports, premiering Tuesday at 9 p.m.
"Uh, I think both," Sinquefield responds.
PHOTOGRAPH BY WHITNEY CURTIS
Political activist Rex Sinquefield
Sinquefield, of course, is the patron of the Central West End's World Chess Hall of Fame and Saint Louis Chess Club, a man who so loves the game (or sport, if you're HBO) that he estimates he's invested $50 million in it.
"Should we just go up to 50 million dollars?" O'Brien asks Sinquefield, who has previously said that his wealth itself is incalculable, while trying to puzzle out how much money he's dumped into this project.
"Yeah, let's stop right about there," he responds.
In 2009, Sinquefield bought the chess library belonging to the late Bobby Fischer, the reclusive grandmaster considered to be one of the greatest players of all time and who captured the attention of the American public during the 1972 world championship. Sinquefield also states in the trailer that he normally has about 20 games of chess going online every day. On Tuesday night, viewers will be able to follow O'Brien as she dives deeper into St. Louis' chess obsession.
Sinquefield made headlines earlier this year when he and his wife, Dr. Jeanne Sinquefield, donated $50 million to Saint Louis University, the largest in the college's history. He's also known for backing conservative politicians. As The Kansas City Star reported, Sinquefield has donated to America First Action, Inc., which has spent $1.7 million opposing Senator Claire McCaskill in the latest senate race. The Center for Responsive Politics records Sinquefield as making at least two donations, one for $150,000 and another for $100,000.
Watch the trailer here:
