The Fall of the House of Forbes: The Inside Story of the Collapse of a Media Empire

Former Forbes managing editor Pinkerton offers his view on the downfall of the iconic business journal founded by patriarch B.C. Forbes in 1917. His son Malcolm took full control of the "quaint, second-tier stock tip sheet%E2%80%9D in 1964, and built it into an empire that crumbled under his son Steve's management. Steve's "hubris, greed, and poor judgment%E2%80%9D led to the sale of family antiques and art collections, real estate, and a 40% share to an outside investor. Pinkerton, who was dismissed from Forbes in a cost-cutting move, states that this "isn't a 'tell-all' book,%E2%80%9D or an "act of retribution,%E2%80%9D yet an early discussion of Malcolm's sexual proclivities, and rumors surrounding his death and quick cremation that are not connected to the collapse, suggest otherwise. Pinkerton's journalistic credibility is at times assailed by an abundance of slang and discussions of his peers' idiosyncrasies, and physical appearances that render the expos%C3%A9 more sensational than essential. Photos. (Oct.)