Michael Wolff (journalist)
Michael Wolff | |
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Mirror Award |
Michael Wolff (born August 27, 1953)
On January 5, 2018, Wolff's book
Early life
Michael Wolff was born in Paterson, New Jersey, the son of, Jewish,[6] Lewis Allen Wolff (1920–1984),[7] an advertising professional, and Marguerite (Vanderwerf) "Van" Wolff (1925–2012)[8] a reporter for Paterson Evening News.[9][10] Wolff graduated from Montclair Academy (now Montclair Kimberley Academy) in 1971, where he was student council president in his senior year.[11] He attended Vassar College and transferred to Columbia University, from which he graduated in 1975.[12][13] While a student at Columbia, he worked for The New York Times as a copy boy.[14][15]
Career
1970s
He published his first magazine article in the
1990s
In 1991, Wolff launched Michael Wolff & Company, Inc., specializing in book-packaging. Its first project, Where We Stand, was a book with a companion PBS series. The company's next major project was creating one of the first guides to the Internet, albeit in book form. Net Guide was published by Random House.[16]
In the fall of 1998, Wolff published a book,
In August 1998, Wolff was recruited by
2000s
Wolff was nominated for the National Magazine Award three times, winning twice.[22] His second National Magazine Award was for a series of columns he wrote from the media center in the Persian Gulf as the Iraq War started in 2003. His book, Autumn of the Moguls (2004),[23] which predicted the mainstream media crisis[clarification needed] that hit later in the decade, was based on many of his New York magazine columns.
In 2004, when New York magazine's owners, Primedia Inc., put the magazine up for sale, Wolff helped assemble a group of investors, including New York Daily News publisher Mortimer Zuckerman, Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, and financier Jeffrey Epstein to back him in acquiring the magazine.[24][25][26] Although the group believed it had made a successful bid, Primedia decided to sell the magazine to the investment banker Bruce Wasserstein.[27][26]
In a 2004 cover story for The New Republic, Michelle Cottle wrote that Wolff was "uninterested in the working press," preferring to focus on "the power players—the moguls" and was "fixated on culture, style, buzz, and money, money, money." She also noted that "the scenes in his columns aren’t recreated so much as created—springing from Wolff’s imagination rather than from actual knowledge of events," calling his writing "a whirlwind of flourishes and tangents and asides that often stray so far from the central point that you begin to wonder whether there is a central point."[28]
In 2005, Wolff joined
That year, he also wrote a biography of Rupert Murdoch, The Man Who Owns the News, based on more than 50 hours of conversation with Murdoch and extensive access to his business associates and his family. The book was published in 2008.[32][33] Beginning in mid-2008, Wolff briefly worked as a weekly columnist for The Industry Standard, an Internet trade magazine published by IDG.[34] David Carr, in a review Business Insider's Maxwell Tani described as "scathing" wrote that Wolff was "far less circumspect" than most other journalists.[35][32]
2010s
Wolff received a 2010
In 2010, Wolff became editor of the advertising trade publication Adweek. He was asked to step down one year later, amid a disagreement as to "what this magazine should be".[37]
Fire and Fury
In early January 2018, Wolff's book
According to other lawyers and a historian, threats of a lawsuit by Trump against a book author and publisher were unprecedented by a sitting president attempting to suppress freedom of speech protected by the U.S. First Amendment.[41][42] Before its release on January 5, the book and e-book reached number one both on Amazon.com and the Apple iBooks Store,[4] and by January 8, over one million books had been sold or ordered.[40]
Siege: Trump under Fire
Wolff's book, Siege: Trump Under Fire, was released on June 4, 2019. In it he claims that the Justice Department had drafted indictment documents against Trump in March 2018, accusing him of three criminal counts relating to interfering with a pending investigation and witness tampering. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is reported to have sat on these draft indictments for a year before deciding that Justice Department policy would prevent such an indictment.[43] "The documents described do not exist," Mueller spokesman Peter Carr said, referring to the purported three-count charging document against Trump.[44]
Nikki Haley controversy
While being interviewed during Fire and Fury's publicity tour Wolff said he was "absolutely sure" President Trump was having an affair and suggested on two occasions that his partner was
Criticism
This article's "criticism" or "controversy" section may compromise the article's neutrality. (January 2023) |
The
Several people have denied quotes published in Fire and Fury. These people include Tom Barrack, Tony Blair, Katie Walsh, and Anna Wintour.[55][56][57]Sean Hannity also denied that he let Donald Trump review questions before interviewing him.[55]
Columnist David Brooks questioned Wolff's credibility since Wolff has been known to not check his facts. Brooks expressed doubts about Wolff's journalistic methods and conveyed skepticism over the accuracy of Fire and Fury.[58]
The View host Meghan McCain criticized Wolff for publishing an off the record conversation with Roger Ailes in Fire and Fury.[59][60]
Journalist Steven Rattner referred to Wolff as an “unprincipled writer of fiction.”[61]
Alan Dershowitz criticized Wolff's book Siege: Trump Under Fire, calling it fiction. Wolff wrote in the book that Dershowitz had a dinner with Donald Trump at the White House to discuss the possibility of representing him. However Dershowitz claimed this dinner never happened.[62]
PolitiFact writer Angie Drobnic Holan noted that Fire and Fury contains several factual errors, including that Trump did not know who John Boehner was in 2016 (Trump had tweeted about Boehner in 2015) and that Wilbur Ross was Trump's choice for US Secretary of Labor (rather than Secretary of Commerce).[63]
Some questioned Wolff using Sam Nunberg as a source in Fire and Fury since Nunberg had admitted to fabricating a story about Chris Christie in the past.[64]
Books
- White Kids. Simon & Schuster. 1979. ISBN 978-0-671-40001-9.
- Where We Stand: Can America Make It in the Global Race for Wealth, Health, and Happiness?. Bantam Books. 1992. ISBN 978-0-553-08119-0.
- ISBN 978-0-684-85621-6.
- Autumn of the Moguls: My Misadventures With the Titans, Poseurs, and Money Guys Who Mastered and Messed Up Big Media. HarperCollins. 2003. ISBN 978-0-06-662113-5.
- The Man Who Owns the News: Inside the Secret World of Rupert Murdoch. Broadway Books. 2008. ISBN 978-0-385-52612-8.
- Television Is the New Television: The Unexpected Triumph of Old Media In the Digital Age. Penguin. 2015. ISBN 978-1-59184-813-4.
- ISBN 978-1-250-15806-2.
- ISBN 978-1-250-25382-8.
- ISBN 978-1-250-83001-2.
- The Fall: The End of Fox News and the Murdoch Dynasty. Henry Holt. 2023. ISBN 978-1-250-87927-1.
Personal life
Wolff was formerly married to lawyer Alison Anthoine. Wolff and Antoine are parents of three children. He is now married to Victoria Floethe, and they have two children. [65][66]
Wolff and Floethe are parents of Louise Wolff, born in 2015.[67]
His daughter, Susanna Wolff, was the editor-in-chief of CollegeHumor.[68][69]
Wolff is known for his pugnacious personality, and has reportedly been ejected from numerous New York City restaurants.[65][66][67]
References
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- ^ Conrad, Anna (December 20, 2017). ""author:Michael Wolff" search results". British GQ. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ a b Hartmann, Margaret (January 4, 2018). "Trump Tries to Stop Publication of Wolff Book, Hits Bannon With Cease-and-Desist". New York. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ CNNMoney.
- ^ Green, Lloyd (July 13, 2021). "Landslide review: Michael Wolff's third Trump book is his best – and most alarming". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ Ben Welch (February 26, 2018). "Was The Fire and the Fury author Michael Wolff lying about Tony Blair's Trump job?". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
- ^ U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935–2014, Ancestry
- ^ Wolff, Michael (May 20, 2012). "A Life Worth Ending". NYMag.com.
- ^ Presinzano, Jessica (January 6, 2018). "Michael Wolff: 5 things to know about the 'Fire and Fury' author". North Jersey.
- ^ "Marguerite Wolff Obituary". The Record/Herald News. September 20, 2012.
- ^ Oguss, Elizabeth; and Moss, Linda. "Michael Wolff, author of Trump book, graduated from private Montclair HS", Montclair Local, January 8, 2018. Accessed January 24, 2018. "Author Michael Wolff, whose controversial book stirred President Donald Trump to angrily tweet to defend his 'stable genius,' was president of his high school student council—and his high school was in Montclair. Wolff, who continues to defend the veracity of Fire and Fury: Inside The Trump White House, graduated from Montclair Academy in 1971."
- ^ Bronski, Peter (Winter 2011). "Media Moguls". Vassar, the Alumnae/i Quarterly. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
- ^ ""FIRE AND FURY" AUTHOR MICHAEL WOLFF CC'75 SPARKS CONTROVERSY WITH WHITE HOUSE ACCOUNT". Columbia College Alumni Association. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
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- ^ Concha, Joe (January 5, 2018). "Who is 'Fire and Fury' author Michael Wolff?". The Hill.
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- ^ "The Truth About Burn Rate". October 1998. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012.
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- ISBN 978-0-06-662110-4.
Michael Wolff autumn of moguls.
- ^ Yglesias, Matthew. (October 23, 2003) "Who needs New York magazine?", Slate Magazine, Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ Carr, David (December 15, 2003). "Bid for New York Magazine: A Dance of Money and Ego". The New York Times. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
- ^ a b "Lazard's Clash of the Titans". Vanity Fair. April 2005. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
Outside of the bank, [Bruce] Wasserstein still runs his investment fund, and in December 2003 he pulled off an astonishing dawn raid in the bidding war for the purchase of New York magazine from Henry Kravis's Primedia, snatching it away for $55 million from a consortium that included the publisher and real-estate investor Mort Zuckerman, filmmaker Harvey Weinstein, columnist Michael Wolff (now a V.F. contributing editor), and financier Jeffrey Epstein.
- ^ "Michael Wolff, On His Own (But Not Really)", Media Features – Media]. Women's Wear Daily (WWD), July 2, 2009). Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ Cottle, Michelle (August 29, 2004). "Wolff Trapped". The New Republic.
- ^ Wolff, Michael (November 2009). "Big Bad Wolff". Vanity Fair. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ Wolff, Michael (October 15, 2009). "Big Bad Wolff". The Hive | Vanity Fair.
- ^ "Can Michael Wolff's Newser colonize the news frontier?". Los Angeles Times blog. Archived from the original on May 9, 2009. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
- ^ a b Carr, David (December 28, 2008). "Plowing Through the Door". The New York Times. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
- ^ ASIN 0385526121
- ^ "The Industry Standard Announces Powerful Editorial Line-Up; Renowned Author Michael Wolff And Web Pioneer Carl Steadman To Pen Weekly Columns For IDG Weekly". Mmit.stc.sh.cn (April 15, 1998). Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ "The writer of the explosive new book on Trump is getting eviscerated over its accuracy – and it's not the first time". Business Insider.
- ^ Alvarez, Alex (June 10, 2010). "The Mirror Awards: A Reflection On Media's Most Meta Awards Ceremony". Adweek.
- ^ Peters, Jeremy W. (October 17, 2011). "Michael Wolff Steps Down as Editor of Adweek". The New York Times.
- ^ Stelter, Brian (January 4, 2018). "President Trump tries to quash bombshell book". CNNMoney. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
- ^ Canfield, Michael (January 4, 2018). "Michael Wolff Trump book defies cease and desist order, bumps up release to Friday". Entertainment. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ a b c Alter, Alexandra (January 8, 2018). "Publisher Defied Trump to 'Defend the Principles of the First Amendment'". The New York Times. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ Boutrous, Ted; Kidder, Teddy (January 4, 2018). "There's No Way Trump Can Stop Wolff From Publishing His Book". Politico: Law and Order. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
- ^ Parker, Ashley; Dawsey, Josh (January 4, 2018). "Trump's effort to stop publication of scathing book is a break in precedent". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ Elving, Ron (May 29, 2019). "Michael Wolff's New Trump Tell-All 'Siege,' Stars Steve Bannon And A Cast Of No-Names". NPR. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
- ^ Helmore, Edward (May 28, 2019). "Mueller drew up obstruction indictment against Trump, Michael Wolff book says". The Guardian. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
- ^ "An affair with Trump? Nikki Haley on 'disgusting' rumors and her rise to a top foreign policy role". Politico.
- ^ Sorkin, Amy Davidson (February 1, 2018). "Michael Wolff Gets Called Out for "Slurring" Nikki Haley". The New Yorker.
- ^ Wemple, Erik (February 27, 2018). "Michael Wolff should just apologize". The Washington Post.
- ^ Weiss, Bari (2018). "The Slut-Shaming of Nikki Haley". The New York Times.
- ^ Osborne, Samuel (February 26, 2018). "Michael Wolff claims he can't hear TV interviewer's questions about Trump affair allegations". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
- ^ Kimmorley, Sarah (February 26, 2018). "'Fire and Fury' author Michael Wolff ended a live TV interview after question about his claims Trump is having an affair". businessinsider.com. Business Insider Australia. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
- ^ Lanktree, Graham (February 26, 2018). "Michael Wolff Walks Out of Interview After Host Asks Him to Apologize to Donald Trump". Newsweek. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
- ^ "Trump critic Michael Wolff scraps Dutch appearances after contentious interview". NL Times. February 23, 2018.
- ^ Chittum, Ryan (September 7, 2010). "Michael Wolff's High Cynicism". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
- ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ a b "These claims in Michael Wolff's explosive new Trump book are being challenged". www.cbsnews.com. January 5, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
- ^ Corcoran, Rob Price, Kieran. "Anna Wintour denies claim in explosive Trump book she asked to be made US ambassador to UK". Business Insider. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Trump book author responds to criticism that he embellished stories: 'If it rings true, it is true'". Business Insider. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- ^ "Shields and Brooks on Russia revelations, Trump-Bannon rift". PBS NewsHour. January 5, 2018. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- ^ Wilstein, Matt (January 10, 2018). "'The View' Host Meghan McCain Berates Michael Wolff: 'This Is Why People Hate Journalists'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ "Meghan McCain Deserves Praise For Her Superb Line of Questioning For Michael Wolff". Mediaite. January 13, 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ "Journalists scrutinize Michael Wolff's credibility". Politico. January 5, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
- ^ Tan, Anjelica (July 3, 2019). "Dershowitz: Author Michael Wolff fictionalized my dinner with Trump". The Hill. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Washington, District of Columbia 1100 Connecticut Ave NW Suite 1300B; Dc 20036. "PolitiFact - A fact-checker's guide to Michael Wolff's 'Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House'". PolitiFact. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Prokop, Andrew (January 4, 2018). "The controversy around Michael Wolff's gossipy new Trump book, explained". Vox. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ a b Carmon, Irin (July 2, 2009). "Michael Wolff, On His Own (But Not Really)". WWD. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ a b Grynbaum, Michael M. "Trump author Michael Wolff: from local scourge to global spotlight". The Irish Times. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ Horgan, Richard (September 9, 2013). "Michael Wolff's Daughter is Now an Editor-in-Chief". AdWeek. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
- ^ "Around the Quads". Columbia College Today. Winter 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2021.