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For the week of July 19 through July 25, 2000

Lifestyles of the rich and secretive


Express photo by Willy Cook

 

 

 

 

About the only evidence that the Allen & Co. annual media mogul shindig took place last week was the phalanx of ultra-chic private jets parked along Hailey airport’s tarmac.

In its 18th year this season, the combination family vacation and high-stakes, deal-making schmooze-fest usually nets at least one industry-shaking transaction. Most famous, perhaps, was Walt Disney Co.’s purchase of Capital Cities/ABC for $19 billion in 1995.

The transactions of people like Microsoft’s Bill Gates, News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch, America Online CEOs Steve Case and Gerald Levin or Blockbuster Video co-founder and Miami Dolphin’s owner (second jet from the left) Wayne Huizenga might have far-reaching effects on the rest of humanity, but the world will have to wait a while to find out what those effects are. After opening the door to reporters last year, organizers slammed it this year. Not even photographer Annie Liebovitz, who usually snaps an annual "family portrait" of participants for Vanity Fair magazine, was allowed in, according to a report from Bloomberg news.

Although impossible to know what transpired behind closed doors at the Sun Valley Lodge, some hint can be found in Wired Magazine’s January quote from host Herb Allen on his vision for the high-tech media future. Here’s what he said:

"How many years are we from having a screen that will fan out of a pen that you carry in your breast pocket? You’ll be able to play visuals on the inside of your eyeglasses, on your dishwasher."

Stay tuned.

Travis Purser

 

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