Mumbai, July 21: Kristin Cabot, Chief People Officer of the tech firm Astronomer, has come to limelight after she was filmed in an affectionate moment with the company’s then CEO Andy Byron at a Coldplay concert in Boston’s Gillette Stadium. Along with Kristin Cabot, the “Boston Brahmins” have also become a talking point following the “kiss cam” moment controversy. Netizens are now curious about the term “Boston Brahmin”. “What are Boston Brahmins” is one of the most-searched terms on Google Trends.
Cabot is married to Andrew Cabot, a sixth-generation owner of Privateer Rum. The Cabot family, alongside the Lowells and other storied names, is regularly cited as a quintessential Boston Brahmin lineage. Their fortune was initially made in the business of “carbon black” for tire manufacturing and has since diversified into various sectors. Coldplay Kiss Cam Catches Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot, Company’s Chief People Officer in Intimate Embrace, Chris Martin Unknowingly Outs ‘Cheating Couple’ (Watch Viral Video).
What Are Boston Brahmins?
The term Boston Brahmin emerged in the mid‑19th century to describe Boston’s deeply entrenched upper‑class elite. They were descendants of early English settlers who wielded influence through wealth, education, and cultural prestige. Well-known family names include the Cabots, Lowells, Lodges, and Saltonstalls. These families, often known as the “First Families of Boston,” combined wealth, social status, and a deep sense of cultural obligation, helping to shape the city’s institutions—from Harvard University to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The term was first coined in the 1860s, drawing on the Hindu “Brahmin” caste to mark these families’ social and cultural elite status. How Many Kids Astronomer CEO Andy Byron Have? Who Is His Wife Megan Kerrigan? Know About Tech CEO Who Was Caught With Colleague Kristin Cabot in Viral Coldplay Kiss Cam Video.
Origin of the Term Boston Brahmin
The term Boston Brahmin was first coined by physician and writer Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. in the early 1860s. He used the phrase “Brahmin Caste of New England” in a January 1860 article in The Atlantic Monthly, later echoed in his 1861 novel Elsie Venner. Holmes drew the analogy from the Brahmins—the highest priestly caste in India’s Hindu caste system, portraying Boston’s upper class as a sort of American hereditary aristocracy, renowned for their social refinement, culture and influence.
Who Were They?
Mostly white Anglo‑Saxon Protestants (WASPs), they hailed from families such as the Adamses, Cabots, Lowells, Forbes, and Cabots, many of whom trace their lineage to Puritan settlers and held seats at Harvard, held political office, and shaped civic institutions.
The Coldplay Kiss Cam Scandal
At a Coldplay concert in Boston’s Gillette Stadium in July 2025, a viral moment during the “kiss cam” segment caught widespread attention. The camera panned to Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot, who were filmed sharing an affectionate moment despite both being reportedly married to others. Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin humorously commented on the couple as the incident unfolded, intensifying speculation and igniting a storm of memes and social media debate. Dubbed the “Coldplay Kiss Cam Scandal” or “ColdplayGate”, the event quickly escalated, leading to Byron’s resignation and Cabot being placed on leave.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 21, 2025 03:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).