Forbes
Forbes (/fɔːrbz/) is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. Forbes also reports on related subjects such as technology, communications, science, politics, and law. It is based in Jersey City, New Jersey. Competitors in the national business magazine category include Fortune and Bloomberg Businessweek. Forbes has an international edition in Asia as well as editions produced under license in 27 countries and regions worldwide.
Cover for December 20, 2010, featuring Julian Assange | |
| Editor-in-chief | Randall Lane |
|---|---|
| Editor | Randall Lane[1] |
| Categories | Business magazine |
| Frequency | Twice quarterly |
| Total circulation (2020) | 657,215[2] |
| Founder | B. C. Forbes |
| First issue | September 15, 1917 |
| Company | Integrated Whale Media Investments, China (Hong Kong) (95%)[3] Forbes family (5%) |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Language | English |
| Website | forbes.com |
| ISSN | 0015-6914 |
The magazine is well known for its lists and rankings, including of the richest Americans (the Forbes 400), of the America's Wealthiest Celebrities, of the world's top companies (the Forbes Global 2000), Forbes list of the World's Most Powerful People, and The World's Billionaires.[4] The motto of Forbes magazine is "Change the World".[5] Its chair and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes, and its CEO is Mike Federle.[6] In 2014, it was sold to a Hong Kong–based investment group, Integrated Whale Media Investments.[7][8]
Company history
B. C. Forbes, a financial columnist for the Hearst papers, and his partner Walter Drey, the general manager of the Magazine of Wall Street,[9] founded Forbes magazine on September 15, 1917.[10][11] Forbes provided the money and the name and Drey provided the publishing expertise. The original name of the magazine was Forbes: Devoted to Doers and Doings.[9] Drey became vice-president of the B.C. Forbes Publishing Company,[12] while B.C. Forbes became editor-in-chief, a post he held until his death in 1954. B.C. Forbes was assisted in his later years by his two eldest sons, Bruce Charles Forbes (1916–1964) and Malcolm Forbes (1917–1990).
Bruce Forbes took over after his father's death, and his strengths lay in streamlining operations and developing marketing.[10] During his tenure, 1954–1964, the magazine's circulation nearly doubled.[10]
On Bruce's death, his brother Malcolm Forbes became president and chief executive officer of Forbes, and editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine.[13] Between 1961 and 1999 the magazine was edited by James Michaels.[14] In 1993, under Michaels, Forbes was a finalist for the National Magazine Award.[15] In 2006, an investment group Elevation Partners that includes rock star Bono bought a minority interest in the company with a reorganization, through a new company, Forbes Media LLC, in which Forbes Magazine and Forbes.com, along with other media properties, is now a part.[13][16] A 2009 New York Times report said: "40 percent of the enterprise was sold... for a reported $300 million, setting the value of the enterprise at $750 million." Three years later, Mark M. Edmiston of AdMedia Partners observed, "It's probably not worth half of that now."[17] It was later revealed that the price had been US$264 million.[18]
Sale of headquarters
In January 2010, Forbes reached an agreement to sell its headquarters building on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan to New York University; terms of the deal were not publicly reported, but Forbes was to continue to occupy the space under a five-year sale-leaseback arrangement.[19] The company's headquarters moved to the Newport section of downtown Jersey City, New Jersey, in 2014.[20][21]
Sale to Integrated Whale Media (51% stake)
In November 2013, Forbes Media, which publishes Forbes magazine, was put up for sale.[22] This was encouraged by minority shareholders Elevation Partners. Sale documents prepared by Deutsche Bank revealed that the publisher's 2012 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization was US$15 million.[23] Forbes reportedly sought a price of US$400 million.[23] In July 2014, the Forbes family bought out Elevation and then Hong Kong-based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments purchased a 51 percent majority of the company.[7][8][18]
Isaac Stone Fish wrote in The Washington Post, "Since that purchase, there have been several instances of editorial meddling on stories involving China that raise questions about Forbes magazine's commitment to editorial independence."[24]
SPAC merger
On August 26, 2021, Forbes announced their plans to go public via a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company called Magnum Opus Acquisition, and starting to trade at the New York Stock Exchange as FRBS.[25] In February 2022, it was announced that Cryptocurrency exchange Binance would acquire a $200 million stake in Forbes as a result of the SPAC floatation.[26][27]
Other publications
Apart from Forbes and its lifestyle supplement, Forbes Life, other titles include Forbes Asia and 45 local language editions,[28] including:
- Forbes Africa
- Forbes África Lusófona
- Forbes Afrique
- Forbes Argentina
- Forbes Australia
- Forbes Austria
- Forbes Baltics
- Forbes Brazil
- Forbes Bulgaria
- Forbes Central America
- Forbes Colombia
- Forbes Chile
- Forbes China
- Forbes Czech
- Forbes Dominican Republic
- Forbes Ecuador
- Forbes En Español
- Forbes Estonia
- Forbes France
- Forbes Georgia
- Forbes Greece
- Forbes Hungary
- Forbes India
- Forbes Indonesia
- Forbes Israel
- Forbes Italy
- Forbes Japan
- Forbes Kazakhstan
- Forbes Korea
- Forbes Latvia
- Forbes Lithuania
- Forbes Lusophone Africa
- Forbes Mexico
- Forbes Middle East
- Forbes Monaco
- Forbes New York
- Forbes Perú
- Forbes Poland
- Forbes Portugal
- Forbes Romania
- Forbes Russia
- Forbes Zone
- Forbes Slovakia
- Forbes Spain
- Forbes Thailand
- Forbes Ukraine
- Forbes Uruguay
- Forbes Vietnam
Steve Forbes and his magazine's writers offer investment advice on the weekly Fox TV show Forbes on Fox and on Forbes on Radio. Other company groups include Forbes Conference Group, Forbes Investment Advisory Group and Forbes Custom Media. From the 2009 Times report: "Steve Forbes recently returned from opening up a Forbes magazine in India, bringing the number of foreign editions to 10." In addition, that year the company began publishing ForbesWoman, a quarterly magazine published by Steve Forbes's daughter, Moira Forbes, with a companion Web site.[17]
The company formerly published American Legacy magazine as a joint venture, although that magazine separated from Forbes on May 14, 2007.[29]
The company also formerly published American Heritage and Invention & Technology magazines. After failing to find a buyer, Forbes suspended publication of these two magazines as of May 17, 2007.[30] Both magazines were purchased by the American Heritage Publishing Company and resumed publication as of the spring of 2008.[31]
Forbes has published the Forbes Travel Guide since 2009.
In 2013, Forbes licensed its brand to Ashford University, and assisted them to launch the Forbes School of Business & Technology.[32] Forbes Media CEO Mike Federle justified the licensing in 2018, stating that "Our licensing business is almost a pure-profit business, because it's an annual annuity."[33] Forbes would launch limited promotions for the school in limited issues. Forbes would never formally endorse the school.
On January 6, 2014, Forbes magazine announced that, in partnership with app creator Maz, it was launching a social networking app called "Stream". Stream allows Forbes readers to save and share visual content with other readers and discover content from Forbes magazine and Forbes.com within the app.[34]
Forbes.com
Forbes.com is part of Forbes Digital, a division of Forbes Media LLC. Forbes's holdings include a portion of RealClearPolitics. Together these sites reach more than 27 million unique visitors each month. Forbes.com employs the slogan "Home Page for the World's Business Leaders" and claimed, in 2006, to be the world's most widely visited business web site.[35] The 2009 Times report said that, while "one of the top five financial sites by traffic [throwing] off an estimated $70 million to $80 million a year in revenue, [it] never yielded the hoped-for public offering".[17]
Forbes.com uses a "contributor model" in which a wide network of "contributors" writes and publishes articles directly on the website.[36] Contributors are paid based on traffic to their respective Forbes.com pages; the site has received contributions from over 2,500 individuals, and some contributors have earned over US$100,000, according to the company.[36] The contributor system has been criticized for enabling "pay-to-play journalism" and the repackaging of public relations material as news.[37] Forbes currently allows advertisers to publish blog posts on its website alongside regular editorial content through a program called BrandVoice, which accounts for more than 10 percent of its digital revenue.[38] Forbes.com also publishes subscription investment newsletters, and an online guide to web sites, Best of the Web. In July 2018 Forbes deleted an article by a contributor who argued that libraries should be closed, and Amazon should open bookstores in their place.[39]
David Churbuck founded Forbes's web site in 1996. The site uncovered Stephen Glass's journalistic fraud in The New Republic in 1998, an article that drew attention to internet journalism. At the peak of media coverage of alleged Toyota sudden unintended acceleration in 2010, it exposed the California "runaway Prius" as a hoax, as well as running five other articles by Michael Fumento challenging the entire media premise of Toyota's cars gone bad. The site, like the magazine, publishes many lists focusing on billionaires and their possessions, especially expensive homes, a critical aspect of the website's popularity.[40][better source needed]
Currently, the website also blocks internet users using ad blocking software from accessing articles, demanding that the website be put on the ad blocking software's whitelist before access is granted.[41] Forbes argues that this is done because customers using ad blocking software do not contribute to the site's revenue. Malware attacks have been noted to occur from Forbes site.[42]
Forbes won the 2020 Webby People's Voice Award for Business Blog/Website.[43]
Forbes8
In November 2019, Forbes launched its streaming platform Forbes8, an on-demand video network debuting a slate of original content aimed at entrepreneurs.[44] The network currently features thousands of videos and according to Forbes is "a Netflix for entrepreneurs".[45] In 2020, the network announced the release of several documentary series including Forbes Rap Mentors, Driven Against the Odds, Indie Nation and Titans on the Rocks.[46]
Forbes Business Council
Launched as an invite-only platform, Forbes Business Council is open to SMEs and MSMEs across the globe. There is a fee to join the Councils. The platform helps entrepreneurs and founders connect with like-minded people, collaborate, as well as publish posts on Forbes.com.[47]
See also
References
- ^ Romenesko, Jim (August 9, 2011). . Poynter.org. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014.
- ^ . Alliance for Audited Media. Archived from the original on October 13, 2020.
- ^ Zhu, Julie (March 27, 2017). "Exclusive: China's yes in talks to buy controlling stake in Forbes - sources". Reuters. Reuters. Archived from the original on November 22, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
Hong Kong-based investor group Integrated Whale Media Investments (IWM), which holds 95 percent of Forbes Media, is also in talks with another Chinese media firm and is scouting for more potential buyers for most or all of its stake, said one of the sources, who declined to be identified as the talks are confidential.
- ^ Delbridge, Emily (November 21, 2019). "The 8 Best Business Magazines of 2020". The Balance Small Business. New York City: Dotdash. Best for Lists: Forbes. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
- ^ "'Forbes' Launches New Tagline, Brand Campaign". MediaPostb. October 24, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ Silva, Emma (November 30, 2017). "Mike Federle Succeeds Mike Perlis As CEO Of Forbes". Folio.
- ^ a b "Forbes Media Agrees To Sell Majority Stake to a Group of International Investors To Accelerate The Company's Global Growth". Forbes (Press release). July 18, 2014. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
- ^ a b "Forbes Sells to Hong Kong Investment Group". Recode. July 18, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
- ^ a b Praneeth (July 6, 2007). "Notes of a Business Quizzer: Forbes". Retrieved August 27, 2018.
- ^ a b c Gorman, Robert F. (ed.) (2007) "September 15, 1917: Forbes Magazine is founded" The Twentieth Century, 1901–1940 (Volume III) Salem Press, Pasadena, California, pp.1374–1376, p. 1375, ISBN 978-1-58765-327-8
- ^ (PDF). Forbes Middle East. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 5, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ^ Commerce and Industry Association of New York (November 18, 1922) "The Association Prepares for New Demands: The Volunteer Workers" Greater New York: Bulletin of the Merchants' Association of New York Commerce and Industry Association of New York City, p. 6, OCLC 2447287
- ^ a b 'Forbes Announce Elevation Partners Investment in Family Held Company' August 13, 2006, at the Wayback Machine Elevation Partners press release, August 6, 2006.
- ^ Pérez-Peña, Richard (October 4, 2007). "James Michaels, Longtime Forbes Editor, Dies at 86". The New York Times. Retrieved January 5, 2008.
- ^ . Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2008.
- ^ "NussbaumOnDesign Bono Buys into Forbes, Launches Product Red in US and Expands His Brand". Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Retrieved January 5, 2008.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c Carr, David (June 14, 2009). "Even Forbes is Pinching Pennies". The New York Times. from the original on April 1, 2012. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
- ^ a b Trachtenberg, Jeffrey A (July 19, 2014). "Forbes sold to Asian investors". MarketWatch. Market Watch, Inc. from the original on July 20, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
- ^ "Forbes Sells Building to N.Y.U." New York Times Media Decoder. January 7, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
- ^ Schneider, Mike (December 18, 2014). "Forbes Moves Across the Hudson to Jersey City". WNET – NJTV. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
- ^ "Forbes moving into Jersey City offices on Monday, report says". The Jersey Journal. December 11, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
- ^ Haughney, Christine; Gelles, David (November 15, 2013). "Forbes Says It Is for Sale". The New York Times. from the original on November 16, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
- ^ a b Doctor, Ken (January 16, 2014). "The Newsonomics of Forbes' real performance and price potential". Nieman Lab.
- ^ Fish, Isaac Stone (December 14, 2017). "Chinese ownership is raising questions about the editorial independence of a major U.S. magazine". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
When a Chinese company buys a major American magazine, does the publication censor its coverage of China? There is only one example so far, and the results are discouraging. In 2014, a Hong Kong-based investment group called Integrated Whale Media purchased a majority stake in Forbes Media, one of the United States' best-known media companies. It's hard to demonstrate causality in such cases. But since that purchase, there have been several instances of editorial meddling on stories involving China that raise questions about Forbes magazine's commitment to editorial independence.
- ^ Burtsztynsky, Jessica (August 26, 2021). "Forbes announces plan to go public via SPAC". CNBC. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
- ^ Wilson, Tom (February 10, 2022). "Crypto exchange Binance to invest $200 mln in U.S. media firm Forbes". Reuters – via www.reuters.com.
- ^ Osipovich, Alexander (February 10, 2022). "Crypto Exchange Binance to Invest $200 Million in Forbes". Wall Street Journal – via www.wsj.com.
- ^ "Forbes.com Footer". Forbes.
- ^ . Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
- ^ McGrath, Charles (May 17, 2007). "Magazine Suspends Its Run in History". The New York Times.
- ^ . American Heritage. Archived from the original on December 30, 2010.
- ^ "Forbes School of Business & Technology Board of Advisors". University of Arizona Global Campus. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
- ^ Patel, Sahil (December 21, 2018). "Amid media doom and gloom, Forbes says revenue was up and profits highest in a decade". Digiday. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
- ^ "Forbes is the first magazine to launch its own social network site". Forbes. January 6, 2014.
- ^ Edmonston, Peter (August 28, 2006). "At Forbes.com, Lots of Glitter but Maybe Not So Many Visitors". The New York Times. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
- ^ a b Bartlett, Rachel (September 26, 2013). "The Forbes contributor model: Technology, feedback and incentives". journalism.co.uk. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
- ^ Benton, Joshua (February 9, 2022). "An incomplete history of Forbes.com as a platform for scams, grift, and bad journalism". Nieman Lab. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ . emedia. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013.
- ^ Weissman, Cale (July 23, 2018). "Forbes deleted its controversial article about Amazon replacing libraries". Fast Company.
- ^ . Gawker. Archived from the original on February 18, 2008. Retrieved January 5, 2008.
- ^ Bloomberg, Jason. "Ad Blocking Battle Drives Disruptive Innovation". Forbes. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
- ^ Hruska, Joel. "Forbes forces readers to turn off ad blockers, promptly serves malware". Extreme Tech. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
- ^ Kastrenakes, Jacob (May 20, 2020). "Here are all the winners of the 2020 Webby Awards". The Verge. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ Releases, Forbes Press. "Forbes8, Forbes' On-Demand Video Network For Entrepreneurs, Debuts New Slate Of Original Content". Forbes. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ Kene-Okafor, Tage (May 25, 2020). "Forbes8 launches digital startup accelerator, calls for applications". Techpoint Africa. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ "Forbes8 Original Series: 6 icons of entrepreneurship show you how to become your own boss". Grit Daily News. October 23, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ "Forbes Councils". Forbes. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
Further reading
- Forbes, Malcolm S. (1973). Fact and Comment. Knopf, New York, ISBN 0-394-49187-4; twenty-five years of the editor's columns from Forbes
- Grunwald, Edgar A. (1988). The Business Press Editor. New York University Press, New York, ISBN 0-8147-3016-7
- Holliday, Karen Kahler (1987). A Content Analysis of Business Week, Forbes and Fortune from 1966 to 1986. Master's of Journalism thesis from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, 69 pages, OCLC 18772376, available on microfilm
- Kohlmeier, Louis M.; Udell, Jon G. and Anderson, Laird B. (eds.) (1981). Reporting on Business and the Economy. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, ISBN 0-13-773879-X
- Kurtz, Howard (2000). The Fortune Tellers: Inside Wall Street's Game of Money, Media, and Manipulation. Free Press, New York, ISBN 0-684-86879-2
- Pinkerson, Stewart (2011). The Fall of the House of Forbes: The Inside Story of the Collapse of a Media Empire. New York City: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0312658595.
- Tebbel, John William and Zuckerman, Mary Ellen (1991). The Magazine in America, 1741–1990. Oxford University Press, New York, ISBN 0-19-505127-0
- Parsons, D. W. (1989). The Power of the Financial Press: Journalism and Economic Opinion in Britain and America. Rutgers University Press, New Jersey, ISBN 0-8135-1497-5
External links
- Official website