Where will Sam Zell take the struggling Tribune Company?

Connie Bruck writes in The New Yorker:

Zell, who was raised in an Orthodox household and is a supporter of Israel, says that his religion has never been an issue in Abu Dhabi or in other Arab countries. “In no way, shape, or form do I hide the fact that I believe in Israel—open kimono!” he declared, using one of his favorite expressions to somewhat bizarre effect. But, he continued, “from the beginning of civilization Muslim rulers had Jewish advisers. I think it is actually a plus.”

…At twelve, he bought Playboy magazines in downtown Chicago for fifty cents and sold them for three dollars to friends in Highland Park, where his family had moved.

…“I’m an immigrant’s kid. I have a very different perspective on the world than somebody who grew up in Chicago and led what I would call a normal life. I think that being Jewish means that you’re vulnerable forever. Was there a stronger Jewish community anywhere in the world—more intellectual, more successful—than Germany in the late twenties and early thirties, before Hitler? And seven years later they’re building concentration camps! So, do I expect something like that to happen in the United States? Of course not. Do I think it could? Absolutely.”

About Luke Ford

I've written five books (see Amazon.com). My work has been covered in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and on 60 Minutes. I teach Alexander Technique in Beverly Hills (Alexander90210.com).
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