Condé Nast's Rise and Influence - Condé Nast, under S.I Newhouse's leadership from 1975, became a dominant force in shaping American culture through its magazines like Vogue, Vanity Fair, and GQ [1] - The company's success was fueled by a "fantasy of outsiders," with editors from middle-class backgrounds curating aspirational content for the masses [1] - Condé Nast heavily invested in glamour, providing editors with lavish expense accounts, luxury cars, and interest-free mortgages [1] - Condé Nast's magazines acted as gatekeepers, influencing trends and ideas of sophistication before the internet and social media era [1][11] Shift in Media Landscape - Unlike today's fragmented media landscape, Condé Nast once held a near-monopoly on influencing American culture [11] - The media industry has shifted from high-profit margins to low salaries and layoffs, a stark contrast to Condé Nast's extravagant spending [1] - The rise of social media has democratized influence, with individuals now creating aspirational content similar to what Condé Nast once curated [15] Condé Nast and Donald Trump - S.I Newhouse and Roy Cohn's friendship played a role in GQ featuring Donald Trump on its cover and publishing "The Art of the Deal," which boosted Trump's national profile [2][3][4][5] - The Newhouse family now regrets the role they played in elevating Donald Trump to the national stage [6] Extravagant Spending - Portfolio magazine's photo shoot involving an elephant rented for $30,000 highlights the excessive spending that was once commonplace in the magazine industry [9][10]

Core Viewpoint - The discussion surrounding Anna Wintour's successor as the editor-in-chief of American Vogue continues, with Chloe Malle emerging as a leading candidate for the position, which is expected to be announced before New York Fashion Week on September 11 [1][2]. Group 1: Candidates for the Position - Chloe Malle, currently the editor of Vogue.com, is favored for the role and is well-liked by Vogue staff [2]. - Other potential candidates include Nicole Phelps, global director of Vogue Runway, and Sara Moonves, editor of W magazine, though Moonves is considered unlikely to transition due to her close ties with W [7]. - Eva Chen, currently at Meta, was previously seen as a strong candidate due to her extensive editorial experience and connections, but she is no longer considered likely to leave her lucrative position [8][9]. - Margaret Zhang, former editor of Vogue China, is also mentioned as a possible successor, but concerns about her network in the U.S. media landscape have been raised [9][10]. Group 2: Industry Context and Implications - The potential acquisition of Vogue's parent company, Condé Nast, by Jeff Bezos is speculated to be motivated by personal reasons related to his wife, Lauren Sánchez, who recently appeared on a Vogue cover [4][6]. - The media industry is facing significant transformation pressures, and the selection of Wintour's successor is complicated by internal restructuring and profitability challenges at Condé Nast [11][12]. - The evolving media landscape and the desire for influential figures to take on leadership roles rather than subordinate positions indicate a shift in the industry dynamics [17].

Our next guest is the author of a new book coming out this morning. It is titled The Empire of the Elite Inside Condast, the media dynasty that reshaped America. Joining us right now is an old friend of mine, Michael Grim.He is the media correspondent at the New York Times. And it's nice to see you, sir. Thanks for having me.Just discussing your suits. Very Condast. And we were, by the way, we should say we're right really in next to the Continu the old Condas building, which is no longer the Contin.That's ...