This book was written without the participation of the Condé Nast Publications, which instructed current editors to decline my requests for interviews. Steven Newhouse did not respond to my inquiries; his father, Donald, also declined to speak, citing Steven’s decision. Jonathan Newhouse was perfectly polite when I approached him at a dinner party, but he indicated that it was his family’s wish that he remain silent. None of this surprised me: the Newhouses have been intensely private for decades. For the proprietors of a media empire, they are wary of journalistic scrutiny. I am, however, deeply grateful to the Newhouse family members who granted me their time, memories, and insight; their generosity was a gift.
I interviewed more than two hundred people in the course of my reporting, including dozens of current and former employees of Condé Nast, close associates of the Newhouses, and longtime observers of the magazine world. Many spoke on the record; others requested anonymity in order to share candid details; some welcomed me into their homes and shared their personal archives. I am indebted to every person who patiently fielded my questions. This book would not exist if not for their many kindnesses.
It also would not exist without David Kuhn and Nate Muscato, my agents at Aevitas Creative, who took a chance on a first-time author and nurtured the germ of an idea that I brought to them. David, your skepticism made me raise my game; Nate, you were a patient listener when I needed it the most. At Aevitas, thank you to Erin Files, Helen Hicks, Liana Raguso, and Allison Warren.
My editor Eamon Dolan was a sage steward of the manuscript. Tzipora Chein wrangled all the nitty-gritty. Thanks also to the eagle-eyed Rachael DeShano, Kyle Kabel for the elegant design, and the entire team at Simon & Schuster, including Ingrid Carabulea, Bri Scharfenberg, Jackie Seow, Priscilla Painton, and Jonathan Karp.
My fact-checker, Sameen Gauhar, is a tireless and exacting collaborator whose contributions were too myriad to catalog here; I don’t recommend writing a book without her. Any remaining errors are my own.
The photo insert resulted from the Herculean efforts of the singular Steven Chaiken and Jeff Roth. Elisa Rivlin, Jonathan Lyons, Ryan Fox, and David McCraw meticulously answered my legal queries. Gary He was an all-around cheerleader. My researcher, Beatrice Wingfield, is astoundingly talented at unearthing gems in the archival coal mines. Paul Friedman, at the New York Public Library, was an invaluable resource.
The New York Times has been my professional home for nearly two decades. No institution is more dedicated to journalistic excellence. Over the years, I’ve benefited from the wisdom and generosity of countless colleagues; to name them all would require a chapter in itself. Carolyn Ryan gave me a career and showed me the joy of newspapering; she is a peerless mentor and a dear friend. Ellen Pollock’s love for news is infectious, and she granted me the space and time to finish this book. Joe Plambeck is the best media editor working today, and my colleagues on the Times media desk are best-in-class. Jim Windolf provided a gold mine of old interviews and reporting notes. Bill Brink, Michael Paulson, Sarah Lyall, Alexandra Jacobs, Sadie Stein, and Vanessa Friedman made this a better book. Matt Flegenheimer and Rebecca Ruiz sharpened my thinking, and Maureen Dowd encouraged me from the start. John Koblin shared the fruits of his encyclopedic Condé knowledge, and talked me off the ledge too many times to count.
Thanks to my Forlini’s gang—Audrey Gelman, Annie Karni, Ilan Zechory, and Ted Mann—for daily serenity. Chloe Malle and Graham Albert made me laugh until my sides hurt. Aimée Bell and David Kamp spurred me on, and Ben Schrank made the whole thing happen in the first place. David M. Rappaport helped me climb the mountain. Simon Vozick-Levinson officiated my wedding, and then he reviewed my manuscript—that’s friendship! Love to you, Sarah, and the D52 crew: Zach Seward, Doug Lieb, and Dan Hemel.
Scoop, Kate, and Bunz Wasserstein were the source of hundreds of hours of merriment and desperately needed distraction throughout this project, and offered wise advice all along the way. I have so much love for them, Tip & Kitty, and Wassersteins far and wide.
To my mom and dad, Joseph and Patricia Grynbaum: Thank you for opening the world to me and for giving me the confidence to pursue the life that I imagined. Every child should be so fortunate. I love you lots and lots.
My cat, Pajama, was not helpful: she pranced across my keyboard, demanded food when I needed to concentrate, and distracted me by looking perfect at all times. I adore her, endlessly.
The idea for this book, like all the best things in my life, came from Juli Weiner, my wife and my closest friend. You read every page, managed my anxieties with wit and cheer, and never stopped believing in me, which often made one of us. Life with you is big and interesting. Every day I feel lucky to be your partner. I love you.