GLAAD’s Extravagant Spending Under Scrutiny: A Closer Look at CEO Sarah Kate Ellis’s Luxurious Trips

A Glimpse into GLAAD’s Lavish Spending

On a crisp January morning in 2023, a light rain drizzled over the Zurich airport as Sarah Kate Ellis made her way from a plush seat in Delta’s most exclusive cabin to a waiting Mercedes. This luxurious vehicle was set to transport her to the stunning Swiss Alps, where she and her colleagues would reside at the Tivoli Lodge, an opulent seven-bedroom chalet that commanded nearly half a million dollars for a week’s rental.

Ms. Ellis, however, isn’t the head of a high-flying tech start-up or a Wall Street bank; she is the chief executive officer of GLAAD, one of the most prominent L.G.B.T.Q. advocacy organizations in the United States. With an annual budget hovering around $30 million, GLAAD covered Ms. Ellis’s luxurious trip, which included a day of skiing, as indicated by internal documents reviewed by The New York Times, complemented by interviews with current and former employees familiar with GLAAD’s operations.

This excursion is emblematic of a broader trend of extravagant spending at GLAAD, much of it attributed to Ms. Ellis. Such expenditures may have breached the organization’s own established policies as well as Internal Revenue Service regulations. The Times meticulously examined a plethora of GLAAD’s expense reports and accompanying receipts from January 2022 through June 2023, alongside employment agreements, tax filings, audit reports, and various internal communications.

When Ms. Ellis undertook work-related travel, it often involved first-class flights, lavish stays at prestigious hotels like the Waldorf Astoria, and expensive car services. Additionally, her personal expenses included a summer rental on Cape Cod and close to $20,000 spent on remodeling her home office, which was elegantly furnished with a chandelier and other luxurious details.