The Other “Bubba” in the News: Boondoggle Ranch’s Bubba Saulsbury, GOP Donor and Texas Oil Scion

To paraphrase the poet Marshall Mathers, will the real Bubba please stand up?

The name “Bubba” has been on the lips of many political-watchers recently, thanks to last week’s release of a spicy 2018 email exchange between sex offender and human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and his brother, Mark Epstein, that referenced current president Donald Trump “blowing Bubba.” In an email, which Mark has since characterized as being part of “a humorous private exchange between two brothers,” saying the message was not meant “to be interpreted as serious remarks,” Mark told his brother to ask Trump adviser Steve Bannon if Russian president Vladimir Putin had “the photos of Trump blowing Bubba.”

“You and your boy Donnie can make a remake of the movie Get Hard,” Mark wrote.

The public was quick to point out that former president Bill Clinton’s nickname is Bubba. In a statement to The Advocate, Mark said, “For the avoidance of doubt, the reference to ‘Bubba’ in this correspondence is not, in any way, a reference to former president Bill Clinton.”

Ali Clark, a spokesperson for Mark, also noted that the Bubba in question is “a private individual who is not a public figure.”

Who could this Bubba, of “joke” infamy, be? We don’t know, but there’s another interesting Bubba in our midst.

Even before that email surfaced on November 12, as part of the release of a tranche of 20,000-plus documents related to the Epstein case, a politically connected Bubba was already making headlines: Meet C.R. “Bubba” Saulsbury Jr., whose family owns the luxury Texas hunting retreat Boondoggle Ranch, where guests can while away the hours “roughing it Texas style” with gigantic TVs and Golden Tee 2020 on demand, according to an archived snapshot featuring a description of the spot, whose website was recently wiped clean. The ranch drew attention when The Wall Street Journal reported that FBI director Kash Patel had recently visited, arriving by a taxpayer-subsidized government jet for a little R&R during the government shutdown. Bubba is known to be pals with Patel as well as Vice President JD Vance.

After the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform dropped the Epstein data dump, political gossip circles were abuzz about the true identity of Bubba.

Bubba Saulsbury Jr. is a good ’ol Texas boy who has spent his entire career working at the family oil and gas business, Saulsbury Industries, according to LinkedIn. Now Bubba is, according to his bio on the Saulsbury website, a director, shareholder, and member of the board of directors at the company founded by his father, Dick Saulsbury. He works to “establish and expand the business,” in addition to “exploring new markets and opportunities.” But life can’t be all oil and opportunities, as the bio acknowledges: “Bubba is an avid sportsman and loves the outdoors. He has been on numerous North American hunts, African safaris, and exotic fishing trips.”

Bubba is 54 years old, 55 in December, and has lived in West Texas—more specifically, Odessa—his whole life. He went to Odessa College, which is now home to the Dick & Amelia Saulsbury Conference Room, a space that can seat about 200. Bubba’s parents have also lent their names to the Dick and Amelia Saulsbury Sustained Excellence Awards, presented annually by the United Way of Odessa. On several occasions, Saulsbury Industries has been a recipient of the award.

Members of the Saulsbury family, Bubba included, are major GOP donors, including to Trump-specific PACs and funds. In 2019, Bubba donated $172,500 to Trump Victory, in addition to making contributions to other Republican PACs. That year, the Saulsbury family alone donated $560,600 to Trump Victory and $16,800 directly to the Trump campaign, with some members maxing out federal limits on contributions. In recent years, too, the family has continued its major financial support of Republican candidates, committees, and causes.

Bubba’s Instagram account appears to have been deleted recently, but search results yield photos from his feed featuring Elon Musk, Steve Bannon, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Trump.