| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Like the rich, moguls are different from you and me. They have, for starters, the capacity to turn perceived transgressions into monumental ego clashes. Consider Michael Eisner versus Jeffrey Katzenberg (over bonuses). Or Eisner versus Michael Ovitz (over operating ability). Or Eisner versus Harvey Weinstein (over film budgets). Or Rupert Murdoch versus John Malone (over a minority interest.) Or Murdoch versus Barry Diller (over the lack of a minority interest). Or Murdoch versus Dick Parsons (over cable access). However, as Camp Allen XXV so dramatically demonstrates, these same moguls have an ever greater capacity: To carry on as if they've no malice — or even scars — from their headline-making conflicts. That's what allows them and their families to spend five friendly days a year together here in Sun Valley. Its also what allows all those named above to bump into one another constantly as they participate in morning sessions and afternoon sports.
Whether these ostensibly friendly encounters are sincere scarcely matters. The larger point is that, if U.N. countries had even a quarter of Camp Allen attendees' ability to sublimate, the world would be a far better place. Now this notion wasn't made out of whole cloth. It was inspired, rather, by a conversation a couple of hours ago with Sumner Redstone, the controlling shareholder of Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp. This indefatigable octogenarian is no stranger to conflict. In fact, on stumbling upon Redstone in the lobby of the Sun Valley Inn, he was already telling war stories. Literal war stories, as in helping the Allies crack the Axis' code by working with premier Japanese scholars. Redstone's got plenty of the other kind of war story, too, such as forcing Jon Dolgen and Tom Freston out of top positions in his entertainment kingdom. Both former Viacom execs happened to be working the same conference, not to mention the same room, which led to soliciting Redstone's take on post-conflict encounters and appearances. "It's important to do battle, if you must," he began. "But it's just as important to put it behind you once it's done." And if you think that's the wisdom of age, think again. "I don't represent anything old," Redstone said of how his remarks should be taken. "I only represent good common sense." Speaking of common sense, it's pretty clear now that Google Inc. has embarked on a charm offensive to position the press for the precedent-promising Viacom v. Google case that awaits scheduling later this month. First, co-founder Sergey Brin charmed journalists after a Sun Valley presentation Thursday, contending his company has no animosity about Viacom's $1 billion suit over copyright infringement. Second, CEO Eric Schmidt advanced the argument by calling Google's plaintiff "a company built from lawsuits." And he did so at a place and time that finds many journalists at their most receptive — around midnight in the Sun Valley Lodge bar. —Richard Morgan See earlier dispatches from Sun Valley Tags: Sun Valley, Sumner Redstone, Viacom, CBS, Google Categories Deal Video
    Community
 Elsewhere on The Deal.comDealwatchThe Deal MagazineCorporate Dealmaker
The Deal VideoCategories
Blog roll
Archives
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
