Billionaire Turns Rats’ Feeding Ground Into an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet: Chicago Officials Urge Legal Action Against Him

Ninety-four-year-old billionaire Barre Seid has found himself at the center of a controversy over a rat infestation in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Local officials say his organized efforts to feed wildlife with nuts and other food are attracting pigeons and rodents, potentially leaving taxpayers to foot the bill for the consequences.

According to Timmy Knudsen, the Chicago City Council member representing the 43rd Ward, who spoke to Axios, officials are considering legal action against Seid. Knudsen said the billionaire’s activities have expanded in recent months despite increased scrutiny and new fines.

Seid has paid all the fines issued to him without contesting the violations.

Nuts Around Trees and Rat Burrows

According to documents from the 43rd Ward, Seid has been hiring people for more than three years to scatter nuts, seeds and other food near his home. The practice later spread throughout Lincoln Park, with food left around trees, on branches and across the park grounds.

In August last year, Knudsen sent the billionaire a final warning. The letter stated that feeding birds had created a public health hazard: large concentrations of pigeons and their droppings, in turn, had attracted significant numbers of rats.

Seid was ordered to stop feeding the animals, store garbage in rodent-proof containers and eliminate potential rat habitats within 15 days. However, officials never received a response from the billionaire.

Billionaire Remains Silent

Seid, who previously owned Chicago-based electronics manufacturer Tripp Lite, did not answer questions from reporters who visited his home. A WGN television crew also recently attempted to obtain a comment, but a woman who answered the door closed it without offering an explanation.

According to neighbor Caroline Novak, Seid’s workers responded with hostility when residents and park employees asked why they were scattering nuts, refusing to explain their actions.

Axios reporters, meanwhile, spotted bowls of water and cracked nut shells on the home’s porch. The items could suggest that the residents simply enjoy feeding wild animals.

Seid also attracted public attention in 2022, when he donated...

Amid the controversy, Knudsen has launched a campaign called “Feed Your Neighbors, Not the Rats” to support Dignity Diner, a local charitable organization that helps people experiencing food insecurity.