Kennedy Scion Demands Firing of Hyannis Port Caretakers Over Disgraced Ex-Con's Birthday Bash

Ted Kennedy Jr. has called for the custodians of his family's historic Hyannis Port compound to be fired, expressing strong disapproval over a birthday party hosted for disgraced former Tyco International CEO Dennis Kozlowski at the storied Massachusetts estate.

Kozlowski, who served more than six years in prison for looting over $150 million from his company, celebrated his 80th birthday at the Kennedy family's legendary Cape Cod compound. The event, which included a celebration for his wife Kimberly, was billed as "an evening in Camelot," a nod to the symbolic name associated with President John F. Kennedy and the broader family legacy.

Kozlowski's wife stated that the property was not rented but that they made a donation to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, which now manages the compound, in exchange for being allowed to host a tented event on the lawn. Invitations reportedly included QR codes encouraging guests to donate to the institute.

However, Ted Kennedy Jr. conveyed his deep concern that the Edward M. Kennedy Institute would permit private individuals to use the ancestral home, an action he believes is inconsistent with his father's vision. "When my father donated his home to the Institute upon his death, he envisioned it as an educational center and living museum where historians, students, policymakers, and writers could convene and be inspired by the ideals of the Kennedy family," he told Page Six.

According to Kennedy Jr., the donation of the main house was intended to support nonprofit and charitable endeavors such as the Special Olympics and the Robert and Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center, as well as events focused on affordable healthcare and civic engagement. "After years of having our family's efforts to work with the Institute dismissed, I am calling for the immediate transfer of the deed to an organization that is better suited to preserve, sustain, and advance the values and purpose to which my father entrusted his home," he stated.

The Edward M. Kennedy Institute, however, has stated it has "no plans to change the ownership of the Kennedy compound now or in the near future." A spokesperson for the institute explained that they regularly allow outside groups to use the property for a rental fee, and the event in question was a rental of the lawn space for several hours. The institute affirmed its respect for Senator Kennedy's legacy and intentions, and its appreciation for the Kennedy family's views.

The dispute highlights a growing complexity in the Kennedy family's relationship with the Hyannis Port compound. The property, built in 1904, was once the center of family life, hosting generations through celebrations, mourning, and tragedy, including the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and the deaths of JFK Jr. and his wife in a plane crash. More recently, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, the oldest of Robert F. Kennedy's 11 children, has spoken about her efforts to recreate idyllic summers at Hyannis Port for her own children and grandchildren, a dream she has found difficult to realize due to family divisions and personal tragedies.

Despite these challenges, extended family members continued to gather at the compound for events like Fourth of July celebrations as recently as 2019. The current conflict, however, raises questions about the future use and management of the estate and its connection to the Kennedy legacy. Vladimir Kozlowski was convicted in 2005 for looting more than $134 million from Tyco and was released on parole in 2014 after serving eight years of his sentence.