When an Owner’s New Company Puts the Old One in Trump’s Cross Hairs

Supreme irony that the Left has politicized nearly everything in American life and then complains that Trump takes on the techno-barons in the leftist cathedral that is Silicon Valley. As you sow so shall you reap.....

I believe that Prof. Grundfest frames the question correctly. The problem isn't with a businessman owning a media outlet but with a president who constantly turns everything into his own personal grievance. Besides, investors in Salesforce can only hope that Trump's attention hurts them as much as it has hurt Amazon, one of two publicly traded companies along with Apple, that is worth over one trillion dollars.

Marc Benioff is legendary for treating his employees extremely well and for establishing a disciplined, fair work environment, especially for women. I am thrilled to read about his purchase of TIME and am hopeful that an insurgence of cash will mean more hiring and a return to robust growth. I am confident that the Benioffs will be excellent caretakers of TIME magazine’s storied brand. Tellingly, after Robert Murdoch purchased the Wall Street Journal from the Bankcroft family, the publication took a turn to the right. It used to be a watchdog on the corporate world. No longer. Since it’s aggressive, uber biased reporting on the Mueller investigation, and its effort through FOX NEWs and The NY Post to shut down the Mueller probe, I no longer bother to read the WSJ.

A correction: we critics of the increasing takeover of our media by our new robber barons are not _enemies_ of the media. We are the best FRIENDS a free press has. It's not a stretch to point out that our tech oligarchs have had a free pass for over two decades now from any kind of regulatory scrutiny or serious, professional, investigative reporting by the business press. With one recent exception – the superb reporting by the Wall Street Journal that brought down the Theranos scam – our press has been compliant: silly fanboy-style nattering about gadgets, gossip, PR shilling and flackery. It would be a serious disservice to the public to characterize the issue as Trump vs Bezos or the Google Boyz. It was the Obama administration, recall, that ignored DOJ's recommended prosecution of that monster - which the EU fined $3 BILLION for its abuses of its vast market power - for multiple violations of our competition laws. The issue predates this administration and will outlast it. The tech giants have captured our regulators and bought our political class. We are sliding toward the same sort of rigged, insider-driven economic and political system that characterizes Carlos Slim's country and that produced his absurd fortune: OLIGARCHY. When will we take back our democracy?

Because, suddenly, critical national policies are made by a spoiled, malevolent two-year old who demands constant attention and ego stroking, threatens tantrums for everything he perceives as a personal slight, and whose sole focus in life is retribution. How is this the United States of America???

Companies like Salesforce, Amazon, Nike, Apple, and Google have a history of being ahead of game. They are hip and forward-thinking. Always. They see Trump thwarting a democracy which in turn, can prevent their businesses from thriving here and abroad. These companies, like other companies before them, understand the value an open society presents. As for bias, these companies fear it, seeing current media trends imperiling an open society. If Russia can infiltrate our social media, who will fight back? If newspapers and cable channels, can posit only biased information, who will fight back? Who is fighting to preserve an open forum? Salesforce and other mega companies do not need to "control" the message, like Fox and Russia. They need to keep expanding the message channels, invite all in, where all feel free to express opinions, debate, and collaborate. That's their business model and that's why they are so successful. What could the country possibly reap? A frontline battle to keep foreigners out of media channels from people who have the resources to fight them. An American media, rivaled by no other, for being open and engaging, and responsive to all, not just some, of its viewers. And again, being an example for the world as to the power of a free press over authoritarian influence and faux news. American democracy needs a champion and we don't have many choices in the pubic sector. I'm willing to give Benioff and Bezos a try.

very interested in mr. Sorkin interviewing the Salesforce executive and his wife on the purpose of their ownership of Time in this Trump era. What would they say on the record ?

Unfortunately, the current POTUS, whose mendacious behavior reflects the actual subject of Trump Derangement Syndrome, not its victim, has also corrupted the original meaning of Teddy Roosevelt's term 'Bully Pulpit' from a powerful positive to a pathetic negative. Vote.

Seems to me that what Benioffs and Jeff Bezos have done with WashPost and Time Magazine isn't a great deal different than what ex-Aussie Rupert Murdoch did with his Fox Empire, New York Post, Wall Street Journal, etc. Namely, they bought/ created media outlets to promote/protect political narrative. Or maybe not. Maybe they've bought these properties for the purpose of speeding up their conversion to digital media.

Salesforce can only dream to be as successful as Amazon -- even -- no --- Especially -- in the current moral downturn. Don't make the @GOP's idiot into your boogeyman. He may have founded a cult - but they're not numerous or smart enough to cause lasting damage. History will judge those in the idiot's cross-hairs well. Trust me.

There is a much deeper issue and threat to democracy that is worsening the future of our country, and the world. Notice the overt threats coming from Mr. Trump to “investigate” or sanction media, companies, and/or individuals who speak out or contribute resources to opponents. It’s quite easy to buy the data who contributes to whom at a personal level, run cross tabs to create a political “enemies” list. All manner of mechanisms exist to hassle or punish one’s perceived opponents: put them on a TSA watch list to make travel difficult, create tax audits, make government contracts or research grants off limits behind the scenes, cause product or safety inspections, etc. Such tactics are the tools of compliance and control by authoritarian rulers. America seems to be increasingly sliding into this pit of vipers. Has favoritism or old buddies existed in America. Of course, that’s an innate human trait. Something much more sinister is emerging.

Why not turn TIME into a foundation or other non-profit model? It's been discussed in the past as a possible solution for publications struggling since the advertising revenue paradigm has changed.

Fine, you are a "business writer." Still, this article should not be about the political risk posed by a founder purchasing a news outlet even with sufficient safeguards to avoid conflict of interest. It should be about how this President and his administration have violated a *huge boatload* of ethical and legal proscriptions in using their regulatory power to intentionally target a single corporation for the political purpose of influencing that media outlet. The question at the end should not be, "Should CEOs and Boards take this risk?" It should be, "Why is the business community tolerating banana republic behavior from this President?"

"whether their motives are selfless or selfish" Selfless action by someone who amasses a billion dollars in the face of a vast body of citizenry living at or near poverty levels? Benevolent sociopathology — a contradiction in terms.