What Surprised Michael Wolff Most About Rupert Murdoch May Also Surprise You!
The party for Michael Wolff’s much ballyhooed official Rupert Murdoch biography The Man Who Owns the News was held last night at the stunning penthouse of Milk Studios on the West Side and, not surprisingly, attracted a whole slew of media big wigs (every style of horn-rimmed glasses appeared to be present — said one party-goer on knowing the room was packed with famous names but not recognizing the faces: “I wish there was an iPhone app for that.”). Sadly Rupe himself was noticeably absent. Turns out the last-minute party date switcheroo from Monday night to Tuesday was just…a mistake, and not actually a scheduling conflict with Wendi Murdoch’s 40th birthday party.
We eventually caught up with Wolff — the man knows how to work a room! — and asked him what, in the course of writing the book, had most surprised him about Rupert Murdoch?
That he takes an enema before a long-haul flight.
There you have it! To file in your TMI folder. We also managed to chat with Christie Hefner for a few minutes (full disclosure: we have written for Playboy) about her decision to step down as CEO from Playboy Enterprises.(Above: Michael Wolff; Right: Dan Abrams and David Zinczenko)
During the Denver convention we’d had lunch with Hefner who at the time stressed more than once to us that as a long-term Obama supporter, dating back to his time in the state senate, she was not attending the convention as a media person. So we asked her whether the timing of this decision meant she was headed to Washington. The answer is no. Hefner told us that on the non-profit side she hopes to work with John Podesta’s Center for American Progress, and then combine that with lectures and television appearances. Perhaps her own TV show? we suggested. Hefner didn’t seem opposed to the idea at all. (Left: Laurel Touby and Lloyd Grove).
Rupe or no Rupe the party went on well past the designated 8:30 end time (as did the champagne and wine bar!). Spotted in the crowd in no particular order we saw Dan Abrams, David Zinczenko, Heart’s Cathy Black, Lloyd Grove, Nick Denton, Jon Friedman, Gabe Snyder, NYO‘s John Koblin and Felix Gillette, Rachel Sklar, Gil Schwartz, our own Laurel Touby, Jon Fine, Jesse Oxfeld, Elizabeth Spiers, Caroline Waxler, Rex Sorgatz, Jim Kelly, Nick Confessore, and Jeff Bercovici. (Right: Rex Sorgatz, Charitini‘s Rachel Sklar, and Jon Fine.)
