Ohio billionaire GOP donor wants to prove OceanGate disaster was anomaly

A retired real estate mogul from Ohio is partnering with Triton Submarines, a personal luxury submersible firm, to take a two-person sub to the wreckage site of the Titanic.

The announcement comes almost a year after Titan, another small submersible, went missing near the site and sparked an international news phenomenon. It was later revealed that the hull of the submersible imploded on itself and killed all five passengers, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush. 

But now Larry Connor, a mega-rich deep-sea fanatic, is hoping to demonstrate that such ventures are actually a safe adventure if the vessel is constructed properly. 

“I want to show people worldwide that while the ocean is extremely powerful, it can be wonderful and enjoyable and really kind of life-changing if you go about it the right way,” Connor, who has been both to the depths of the Mariana Trench and the heights of the International Space Station, told the Wall Street Journal.  

Connor will be joined by Patrick Lahey, the founder of Triton Submarines, in a two-person craft that they claim will be able to withstand the intense oceanic pressure of the Titanic’s resting place — which sits on the ocean floor at a depth of 12,400 feet. 

“Patrick has been thinking about and designing this for over a decade. But we didn’t have the materials and technology,” Connor continued. “You couldn’t have built this sub five years ago.” The submersible is expected to cost upwards of $20 million. 

Public records show that Connor is also a prolific donor to the GOP. He’s provided sizable donations to everyone from former House speakers like Paul Ryan and Newt Gingrich to MAGA superstars like Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY). One of his more recent contributions was a $12,967 check for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s (R) reelection campaign.