Who are Boston Brahmins? Kristin Cabot's powerful family ties resurface amid scandal at Coldplay concert

Amid a scandal that has everyone talking, Astronomer’s HR chief Kristin Cabot, who was recently seen cuddling with now-ex CEO Andy Byron at a Coldplay concert, is now drawing attention not just for her workplace conduct but also for her elite family background.

Kristin is married to Andrew Cabot, owner of Privateer Rum, and a descendant of the prestigious Cabot family, one of Boston’s oldest and wealthiest lineages. The Cabots are part of the so-called Boston Brahmins, a term historically used to describe the city’s most elite Anglo-American families.

What Are Boston Brahmins?

The phrase was coined by author Oliver Wendell Holmes in his 1861 novel Elsie Venner, likening Boston’s elite to India’s Brahmins, the highest priestly caste, to describe their social standing, exclusivity, and cultural influence.

According to a PBS report, Boston Brahmins were descendants of early Puritan settlers who amassed their fortunes through trade and industry. Over time, they became synonymous with American aristocracy, known for their wealth, philanthropy, and rigid social circles, but also for resisting social integration and immigration.

Their values were rooted in discipline, education, refinement, and civic duty, as documented by the New England Historical Society. Yet, they were also seen as aloof, with a strong sense of inherited privilege.

The Cabot family legacy

The Cabots were among Boston’s most influential families, with wealth tied to shipping, manufacturing, and regional enterprises. Their social status was so exclusive that even the powerful Kennedy family was once seen as outsiders.

A popular Boston rhyme sums it up:

“And this is good old Boston, the home of the bean and the cod,

Where the Lowells talk only to Cabots, and the Cabots talk only to God.”

Kristin Cabot’s link to this elite lineage has resurfaced in the wake of the Coldplay concert controversy, adding another layer of public fascination to the scandal that led to the resignation of Astronomer’s CEO and an ongoing internal probe involving its HR head.