Poor Herb Allen. You spend your entire career serving as trusted advisor and investment banker to old media titans like Rupert Murdoch, Barry Diller, Dick Parsons, Bob Iger, Jeff Zucker, Gerry Laybourne, Paul Allen, and Oprah, and then a party-promoting new media group mixes you up with the guy who founded CourtTV? Oh, kids! [Gawker, NYO, The Deal, Flickr]
Herb Allen's annual confab in Sun Valley ended on Friday, although many stayed around for Herb's big closing dinner on Saturday night, replete with ice dancers. So what happened to Rupert Murdoch's wedding ring, which he lost on Friday? It's still missing! "The ring is theoretically still in some crevice in the Sun Valley Lodge lobby or along some bike path," says to the Hollywood Reporter. Go to it, people! A lifetime subscription to the Post awaits you. [HR]
It won't be quite as cheery as usual at Herb Allen's annual media mogul retreat, which kicks off today in Sun Valley. This time last year, the credit crisis was but a blip on the radar. Oh, how things have changed over the past twelve months. Without the billions on hand to close big deals, the economic downturn has made life pretty depressing for the master-of-the-universe set. But gather they will— the tennis and hiking must go on, damnit—and aside from the handful of players who were dropped from the invite list on account of their declining influence, all the media big shots are expected. Among those who will be cruising in on their company-owned jets: Rupert Murdoch (along with son Lachlan), Warren Buffett, Viacom chief Philippe Dauman, Les Moonves, Howard Stringer, Edgar Bronfman Jr., Jeff Bewkes and Dick Parsons of Time Warner, NBC's Jeff Zucker, Universal's Ron Meyer, Paramount chief Brad Grey, and Disney's Bob Iger.
Ruthless reporter Kara Swisher didn't get invited to superbanker Herb Allen's annual VIP gathering in Sun Valley. So she's taking matters into her own hands and ... complaining on her blog? Kara, stop it. I've seen you in action. You're The Bride of tech reporting. When you enter the room, security guards flee. PR bunnies chew off their own heads rather than face you. You disembowel Old Boys Club members with questions so sharp they barely feel a thing until it's too late. So quit whining and man up, Kara. Just get yourself to Sun Valley. You'll get in. You'll have the head table before dinner is finished. I almost feel sorry for the poor sonsabitches they send to stop you. Send us your posts and we'll lazily relink them. Now GO.
