AOL's "human computer" may be scrapped
Jeffrey Bewkes begins work today as chief executive of Time Warner, the world's biggest old-school media conglomerate. One person who won't be celebrating Bewkes' ascension is Ron Grant, who runs day-to-day operations at Time Warner's internet division, AOL, which is downtown New York's biggest internet business since the headquarters moved from Virginia. Grant, an AOL veteran who masterminded some of the sketchier deals of the last internet boom but returned from disgrace, is so brainy that he's been nicknamed "the human computer". But the new Time Warner boss doesn't rate his mechanical exec's managerial competence. Grant is pictured here: better grab hold of that handrail.