Biographies: Malcomb S. "Steve" Forbes Jr. - (US, 1947- )


Figure 1.--

Steve Forbes is the son of famed U.S. business publisher Malcomb Forbes. He was the owner and editor of Forbes Magazine founded by his grandfather, B.C. Forbes (1917). The madazine was the only important American business magazine (1920s), but encountered problems as a result of the Depresion and more competition (1930s). Malcomb Sr. who acquired control over the magazine, insisted on Steve and his brothers to dress up in kilts for church and other special occasions. The father liked to wear kilts himself. I understand that the boys all objected. Steve reportedly hated it, even more than his brothers who were younger. It would be one thing doing this in Scotland or even England, but in America it must have really been embarrassing. Commenting on it during a TV interview, he said rather sarcastically that his friends didn't ascribe to his father's multi-cultural principles. They apparently teased him and called his kilt a dress and a skirt, and probably had lots of other little jibes. Some fist fights reportedly resulted. His father also had the boys learn the bagpipes and perform in their kilts for business guests. Apparently they were awful, but the guests always clapped. Steve says the boys who knew they played badly didn't understand it at the time, but now believes the applause was gratitude for them stopping. Steve ran for the Republican presidential nomination (1996 and 2000). He doesn't have the carisma to do well in politics. He is best known today as a very articulate and effective spokesman for free market capitalism and conservtive issues.

Family

Steve Forbes is the the grandson of famed Scottish-born U.S. business publisher B.C. Forbes who founded Forbes (1917). He was the the son of Malcomb Forbes Sr. who acquired control of the magazine. B.C. Forbes was born in New Deer, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. His parents were Agnes (Moir) and Robert Forbes, an enterprising but only modestly successful storekeeper and tailor. B.C. studied at the University College, Dundee (at the time part of the University of St Andrews). He was attracted by journalism and began working as a reporter and editorial writer with a local newspaper (1897). He moved to Johannesburg, South Africa seeking greater pportunity (1991). He got a job with the Rand Daily Mail under its first editor, Edgar Wallace. This of course put him in the middle of the Bogr War. He immigrated to the United States (1904), ending up in New York City. America at the time was undergoing an conomic bool and had become the most important industrial country in the world with an economy unrivaled by any of the Europen powers. Hewirked as a writer and financial editor at the Journal of Commerce before joining the Hearst chain of newspapers as a syndicated columnist (1911). He worked with Hearst for only 2 years. He then became business and financial editor at the New York American (1913). After a few years there, noting that America did not have a buskiness magazine, he founded Forbes just asmerica entered World War I (1917).

Forbes Magazine

Steve is today the owner and editor of Forbes Mafazine founded by his grandfather, B.C. Forbes (1917). The magazine was the only important American business magazine (1920s), but encountered problems as a result of the Depresion and more competition (1930s). Malcomb Sr. acquired control over the magazine.

Childhood

Malcomb Sr. had a thing about Scotland, although he had no cnnection with it other than his father was born in Scotland. He insisted on Steve and his brothers to dress up in kilts for church and other special occasions. The father liked to wear kilts himself. I understand that the boys all objected. Steve reportedly hated it, even more than his brothers who were younger. It would be one thing doing this in Scotland or even England, but in America it must have really been embarrassing. Commenting on it during a TV interview, he said rather sarcastically that his friends didn't ascribe to his father's multi-cultural principles. They apparently teased him and called his kilt a dress and a skirt, and probably had lots of other little jibes. Some fist fights reportedly resulted. His father also had the boys learn the bagpipes and perform in their kilts for business guests. Apparently they were awful, but the guests always clapped. Steve says the boys who knew they played badly didn't understand it at the time, but now believes the applause was gratitude for them stopping.

Politics

Steve like his father dabbled in politics. He ran for the Republican presidential nomination (1996 and 2000). He doesn't have the carisma to do well in politics. He is best known today as a very articulate and effective spokesman for free market capitalism and conservtive issues.






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Created: 2:47 PM 1/12/2018
Last updated: 2:47 PM 1/12/2018