Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em

Two of America’s most successful specialty magazines are The Wine Spectator and Cigar Aficionado, both described by their owner, M Shanken Publications, as “celebrating the good life”. Both got off to rocky starts, with onlookers in and outside their respective industries predicting quick deaths. They were wrong. The magazines continue to flourish, highly regarded by experts and hobbyists alike for clearheaded writing, reporting and real insights. The interviews, too, with celebrities and market leaders are always fun to read. I remember being moved when rocker Sting was whinging on about the high cost of running his glamorous Tuscan winery. One didn’t realize the trials faced by a multimillionaire A-List celebrity who is adored around the globe. The founder of this literary feast is one Marvin Shanken, a wildly successful, rough-around-the-edges businessman with whom I had direct contact when I worked at Seagram. He’s memorable for the following reasons and, yes, the remembrances are uncharitable, but he’s got broad shoulders and serious money.