Billionaire media mogul Donald E. Newhouse died on Tuesday at his home in New Jersey. He was 96. Newhouse was a former board chairman of The Associated Press and headed Advanced Publications’ newspaper group, as well as serving as president of the Star-Ledger in Newark, New Jersey. Donald and his older brother, Samuel, known as Si, inherited their father Samuel’s media empire, which began with the Staten Island Advance in 1922 and became one of the world’s largest privately held media conglomerates before Samuel’s death in 1979. Donald ran Advance’s newspaper and cable assets, while Si steered the Condé Nast empire, which included Vogue, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker and other magazines. “If Si was by nature retiring and reflective, Donald was an outward-blazing light,” Anna Wintour, Global Editorial Director of Vogue and Chief Content Officer of Condé Nast, said in a statement released by the Newhouse family. “You reveled in his company. He filled you with energy and humor when you felt doubtful and weak. He was scrupulous about not interfering in editorial business, but if you turned to him for counsel, he invariably offered judicious advice.” She added, “More than merely holding Advance, Donald imbued it with spirit, ambition, trust and real care for people. He made it an exciting place to be.” According to Forbes, the Newhouse family has a net worth of approximately $24 billion. Newhouse is survived by his eldest son, Steven, co-president of Advance Publications, another son Michael and daughter Katherine Mele. His wife, Susan, died in 2015.
