PUBLISHED: 23:52 EST, 3 December 2012 | UPDATED: 23:53 EST, 3 December 2012
Rumors that Vode editor-in-chief Anna Wintour may be headed back to her native England to serve as an ambassador for the United States are becoming more and more credible.
Two unidentified people are cited as confirming reports that President Obama is considering appointing Wintour as the next ambassador to England.
Wintour, 63, has been a strong supporter of the President and was one of his top bundlers in the last campaign where she raised millions for his re-election bid.
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Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue Magazine, right, and Arthur Becker, arrive for a state dinner hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama in January
Ambassadorships to friendly countries are commonly given to top-tier fundraisers as a thank you gift after a tough campaign, and the post in London is one of the nicest among them.
Adding to speculation that Wintour will leave her position as editor of the fashion magazine to take a political turn is the fact that the current ambassador to England, Louis Susman, is not expected to take on a second term.
An article by Bloomberg cites two people, described only as being ‘familiar with the matter’, as saying that Susman is one of three ambassadors with plum positions who will not be continuing their stay abroad.
Dan Rooney, the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers who is currently the ambassador to Ireland, and Charles Rivkin, the former executive of Jim Henson Co. who is the ambassador to France, will also be returning to the U.S.
Leaving: Louis Susman (left) is currently the American ambassador to Britain, and Charles Rivkin (right) is the ambassador to France though they are both thought to be heading back to the U.S. next year
Payback: President Obama, seen here while he was just a candidate in 2008, rewarded Dan Rooney’s support with the post of ambassador to Ireland
Wintour’s credentials as a major fundraiser may well be enough to earn her the spot in the American Embassay that abuts London’s Regents Park, as Rooney, Rivkin and Susman were all major fundraisers and not career politicians before being appointed by President Obama.
The fact that she is a dual citizen of the U.S. and the U.K. also helps Wintour’s cause, but Bloomberg asserts that she may have competition for the gig.
Matthew Barzun, who served as finance chairman for the re-election campaign, is said to be interested in the job.
Another venue Wintour may consider, especially given the time she spends in Paris for fashion shows, is the ambassadorship to France.
Made the cut: Anna Wintour, a large Obama donor, and her longtime partner Shelby Bryan were invited to the State Dinner at the White House when Prime Minister David Cameron came to visit in March.
Competition: Matthew Barzun (left), who served as finance chairman for the re-election campaign, is supposedly eying the British ambassadorship, and Marc Lasry (right), a major bundler, reportedly wants the one in France
In the late 1970s, Wintour dated a French record producer and split her time between Paris and New York, so it would not be her first move to the city if she was appointed to the ambassadorship.
That said, even her innate sense of style may not be enough to secure that spot for her, as Bloomberg reports that Marc Lasry, a fellow bundler and founder of Avenue Capital Management, wants the French ambassadorship.
No matter, as a spokeswoman for Wintour has denied that she has any plans to end her journalistic career quite yet.
‘She’s very happy with her current job,’ Megan Salt told the site.
Wintour has hosted a number of fundraisers for the President in the past few months, all of which have shown the strength of her Rolodex.
In May, she co-hosted a $40,000-per-plate dinner for 50 people in actress Sarah Jessica Parker’s Manhattan townhouse. Prior to the dinner, she even appeared in a YouTube video promoting the dinner which offered up two raffled tickets to the event.
Big money: Wintour’s fundraising efforts included a $40,000 a night dinner at the home of Sex & The City star Sarah Jessica Parker (pictured)
In August, she moved her sights out of the city and partnered up with Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and his fashion designer wife Georgina Chapman to host a $38,500-per-plate dinner in their Connecticut home.
She used more than just her contacts to make the money flow in for the President during the long campaign.
Wintour used her fashion and business savvy to draw up a spreadsheet and prove to the President’s aides that the creation of a high-end accessories line would bring in a sizable amount of cash for the campaign.
From there, she enlisted a host of designer friends to create the goods.
Derek Lam designed a $75 tote bag, Thakoon Panichgul made a $95 scarf with Obama’s face pictured, and Richard Blanch was behind the makeup bag that contained red, white and blue nail polish.
Considering her prominent position on the donor list and the cycle of turning donors into ambassadors, it comes as little surprise that Wintour’s name has been floated as a possibility
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2242660/Ambassador-Anna-Further-speculation-Vogues-editor-chief-retire-order-residence-British-French-embassies-thank-Obama.html#ixzz2E426N6PV Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
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