Archive for January, 2008
January 31, 2008 3:19PM
By Alexis Glick
OK. So day one on air is behind me. First of all, it is FREEZING! I had no idea and was clearly not prepared. It was about 30 degrees and I plopped down in my seat in front of the stadium at 4:30 a.m. Phoenix time and remained seated until 8 a.m. Uggggg!!!! The crew that’s with me is amazing! Lance, Pete, Ben, Jessie, Craig and Matt. What an awesome group of guys. They gave me their space heaters and jackets to wrap around my legs. Thank God chivalry still exists 
From the Money For Breakfast team, Peter, Brad, Yvette and Melissa kept me warm by bringing hot cups of tea for my fingers. I thought they were going to freeze (my fingers and the crew :)! Had I known it was going to be this cold, I would have packed thermals!
So much to tell you. First of all, two highlights from this morning’s show. First up, Tony Dorsett, former Dallas Cowboy and Hall of Fame Super Bowl champion who came on to talk about the dispute between the NFL and Player’s Union over the pension and disability plans for retired and soon-to-be-retired or injured players. The statistics are very sad. The players are really getting a raw deal and something needs to change. I hope it will for everyone’s sake. Tony made some great points and has confidence it will get resolved. I must admit he looks amazing! I cannot believe he won the Super Bowl 30 years ago. Looking at him you’d expect him to say 10 years ago, not 30.
Next up, Bob Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots. He is one of the classiest guys in the business world. As I mentioned in my last blog, he is only doing a few interviews (two) and we were one of the lucky ones. He is an incredible role model, not only for how he has turned a losing franchise into a winning one and took a $175 million investment and made it a $1.2 billion dollar empire, but also because he’s as down to earth and honest as anyone you’ll meet. He’s proud of his accomplishments, but he’s most proud of his four sons and how this franchise allows them to work together and enjoy the game they love the most. I asked him about selling at the top and he said they have received many inquiries or overtures to buy into the business or sell it outright. They love it too much to do that. I also asked him about Tom Brady and Randy Moss (two of his star players) who cost the team a pretty penny but have been arguably the best one-two punch in the business. When the Pats signed Randy for a one-year deal, they had to pay the $9.75 million deal he had with Oakland. Tom Brady’s contract had to be restructured to afford Randy’s deal. Now Brady’s out here on the media circuit and says in a half-joking manner to the press that he and Randy are partners and “where he goes, I go.” I asked Bob about that and he said he’ll be in discussion with Randy’s reps. He did note that Randy said it wasn’t about the money. I take it that means Tom and Randy will spend many more years in a Pat’s uniform :). Good news for them. Not so good for the rest of the league :).
After the show, I detoxed in the green room and who did I see? Jillian Barberie Reynolds doing an interview with Ryan Seacrest on his radio show. If the name is not familiar, you may know or remember her from the pre-game show on Fox with Terry and Howie. She does the weather and jokes around with the guys. She was preparing to cover the party circuit. While I was sitting there, she called into Ryan Seacrest’s radio show. She told him that she will be covering all of the parties and that she couldn’t care less about football. Jillian’s full of life and has a killer figure (Ugggg)!
So much more to tell you. Wait until you hear about my breakfast at the hotel. I seriously think I might be dreaming!!!! This job is insanse and the people you meet along the way are larger than life. Pinch me……PLEASE!
January 31, 2008 7:45AM
By Alexis Glick
Just arrived in Phoenix, and we’re sitting on the runway. You know me and my luck! The flight was delayed a couple hours. It’s almost midnight Phoenix time and the person meeting me for hair and makeup is scheduled to be at my hotel room at 2:30am. Yeah, that’s right! My poor producer Yvette, she’s a worry wart. She’s definitely having a panic attack. That’s why we love her. She’s one of the best in the business. A former ESPN producer (and bigwig) who knows every athlete and coach on the planet. We love her!
Anyhow, sitting on the plane in Phoenix now for about 20 minutes on the ground. Just think it adds to the excitement :). You would think that my Irish blood would hook me up with a little good luck from time to time right? Not when there’s a clock ticking :).
On today’s show, we’re talking about the economy in Phoenix. Did you know they hosted the Super Bowl in 1996? One of the reasons why the Super Bowl is now back in Phoenix is because they built a $455 million football stadium in Glendale for the University of Phoenix. It has a retractable roof and a rollout natural-grass field. Pretty cool! I’m not sure that I have ever been in a stadium with a retractable roof. Have you? Capacity 63,400 expandable during big events like this to 73,000. Since 1996, the city and developers have spent billions of dollars ($3B in the downtown area alone) to improve the infrastructure. New roads, new convention center, tons of new restaurants and new hotels. It’s estimated Phoenix could make $400 million dollars off of the Super Bowl. Not bad! In fact, Phoenix is now the fifth-largest city in the Country.
And get this: Rooms at Scottsdale’s 5-star resorts are going for $3,000 a night (four-night minimum). Glendale Airport, which is near the stadium, usually handles four flights a day will park 100 corporate jets this week. The average price of tickets sold on StubHub is currently $4,227. The Super Bowl host committee’s “big ticket gala” costs $10,000 if you’d like a NFL Hall of Famer to grace your table. Tickets to the Playboy and Maxim parties, notorious for hosting the week’s top parties, are going for $2,000 to $3,000. I cannot believe that! I’ve never heard of anything like this in my life. So much for a recession :). VIP tickets to the “Super Village” in Scottsdale, where events such as a celebrity flag-football game with Pamela Anderson and Matt Leinart are going for $500. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? This is insane!
Now in the car with my partner in crime Melissa Tabatabai. She just picked me up at the hotel (at 3:15 a.m.). In my next life, I plan to sleep. Today we are one of only two networks interviewing Bob Kraft (the owner of the New England Patriots). I am really excited! He’s a great guy and a fellow Columbia University alum. Ironically, I graduated from Columbia with one of his sons, David. Small world! You think he’d considering hiring me :)? Can you imagine the stats he has under his belt? He won the 2001, 2003 and 2004 season Super Bowls and if he wins this Sunday, the Pats will become the second team in NFL History to win four titles in seven years.
Oh, in case you’re wondering, the Pats have a 5-3 edge in their all-time series with the Giants and have won four straight. BUT, the Giants are on a winning streak. They have won 10 games on the road, the first to do that in NFL history and Eli Manning has been flawless. Since they played the Pats on week 17, the Giants offense has gone 33 possessions and 194 plays without a turnover.
This is history in the making. It gives me goose bumps. Honestly, how psyched are you?
Almost at our location for the show. Just picked up large Diet Cokes from McDonald’s for a little boost of energy. My favorite! There’s nothing like a big fountain soda even if it’s not good for you. See you on TV. Don’t forget I’ll be on from 7-10 a.m. and my interviews will be online. I’ll continue to give you the behind the scenes inside scoop and anlaysis. Meeting Elway later today. Very cool. So cool. Out of this World cool
Oh and in case you’re wondering, I am as star struck as anyone. Bought four Giants jersey’s and a Tom Brady jersey. Hoping to get them signed for my boys
January 30, 2008 7:45PM
By Alexis Glick
Hi guys! It’s me. I’m back. Forgive me for the hiatus over the past couple of days. There was a lot to catch up on and prepare for in anticipation of my trip today to Phoenix.
It’s now 5pm and I’m about to lift off. So the good news is the iPod Shuffle is working. This time it should make for a smoother flight. What is it with me and these marathon trips? Davos, Switzerland and now Phoenix, Arizona for the Super Bowl…..pretty awesome to say the least!!!
So today was an interesting day. The Fed finally did what we expected it to do. It cut rates by half a point and talked down inflation. Much to my surprise! I can’t figure that one out, given all the companies that are reporting in line or weaker than expected numbers because of rising commodity prices. Oh well… not for me to worry about at this time. Three percent on the Fed Funds rate… wow…we’ve made a sharp move in a couple of months!
I had brunch today with my good friend Gary Garrabrant. He’s the Chief Executive Officer of Equity International and Sam Zell’s partner. He’s a very smart guy and every time we meet, I learn something new!!
Today we talked about their real estate investments in China and Brazil. I didn’t realize that there were 170 million people in Brazil and how explosive the growth has been. It’s one of the largest distributors or developers of some of the most common products we know and use. Whether it be beef, ethanol or your everyday grocery items. Honestly I was quite surprised.
How about China? One billion people and growing. Even though growth rates are projected to decline to 8% from 11%, it’s still a terrific long term investment according to Gary. He’s building residential living in major cities to keep up with the growing numbers of Chinese moving from rural areas into urban locations. The real estate market there is bizarre. It’s an open auction market. Full transparency. You don’t do a real estate deal quietly like we do here in the U.S between two parties.
Also the Chinese government has many property laws that would make your head spin. First of all, you have to build on what you buy within one year or face a tax of up to 20% of the property value. Second, if you don’t build on it within two years, the government has the right to take it back. Doesn’t that sound crazy? Apparently, they argue it makes sure that speculators don’t participate in the market. It encourages real buyers because they have to build right away. The disadvantage is that it could impel buyers not to invest in China if they feel that they have to follow the laws or risk losing the land. We talked about the difference between offshore and onshore companies — which ones Americans can invest in and which ones the Chinese fully own. It’s a fascinating world. I’ve never been to Brazil or China. Perhaps I’ll make it to one of them some day!
Oh…how could I forget? Last night I saw the movie 27 Dresses. Loved it! Yes, to all the guys out there, it’s a chick flick but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t great. Ever since seeing Katherine Heigl in Knocked Up, I have been obsessed and in love with her. She is so warm, fun and self-deprecating. And for all you music lovers, the movie has some great classics. Who doesn’t love a movie about brides, weddings and the foolish dresses brides make us wear? Once in a while seeing a movie that is light and charming is a much needed relief from all this recession talk. Believe me!
So let’s get down to the real task at hand. One of two things is going to happen this Sunday: (1) the perfect season and history in the making, or (2) arguably the greatest upset in NFL history. Who wouldn’t want to see one of those happen? And what’s all this nonsense about a 12-point spread? Take it! The Giants will cover! Spoken like a true Giants fan. At this point, we’ve come so far despite insurmountable odds. I’m just psyched that we’re in Phoenix and frankly, I like our ground game. Between Jacobs and Bradshaw, we’ll work those aging linebackers. You’ll see!
“Early in the morning, risin’ to the street, light me up that cigarette and I’ll strap shoes on my feet…………..Lovin’ is what I got, Remember that!”
Sublime’s “What I Got” (first song on at liftoff)!
January 29, 2008 8:24AM
By Alexis Glick
Yesterday was my first day back to work after Davos and as promised here are few of my first impressions of Davos and the World Economic Forum.
1. It is hard work! I’m not sure that I believed CEO’s and political leaders when they said they work really hard in Davos and have little to no down time. It’s the truth! They do work incredibly hard and their days are fully booked. In fact, in some ways, I wonder why it is in such a stunning location when no one is able to take advantage of it. It started in Davos with Klaus Schwab, a Swiss economist and businessman, known among leaders as the president and founder of the World Economic Forum. For security purposes, the location makes a lot of sense. It’s remote and they can easily control the air space. I just wish everyone could stop for a moment and enjoy the beauty!
2. Almost every executive or political leader that I met with said they accomplish in four days what would have taken them several months to do. I believe that! I also believe that Davos is a common ground where executives and political leaders can meet behind closed doors without drawing a great deal of attention. Pakistani President Musharraf can meet with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice or the Ukrainian President Yushchenko without drawing a great deal of attention.
3. It’s also a place where people can create and continue a dialogue about some of the most important issues facing the global world, whether it is poverty, HIV Aids, economic growth or contraction, the environment, global warming, energy consumption or sustainability.
I’ll leave it there, as one thing I’ve learned about the news business is that you have to look ahead. This I guess you could say is now old news. Now many of you heard about my iPod Shuffle crisis from the start of my trip. After asking every one of my colleagues on the ground to help me fix it, I was shut out. Somehow the files were corrupted. Bummed out? You wouldn’t believe! On the flight home, I discovered that American Airlines had some tunes. It did give me that last-minute jolt of energy when I desperately needed it. I listened to Tom Petty’s Free Falling and Alright for Now (a beautiful song that almost sounds like a children’s lullaby) and, finally, John Cougar Mellencamp’s Small Town.
Back at home for the weekend, my husband and I discovered the problem and thankfully he fixed the Shuffle. We spent all weekend wrestling with my boys (they are 6, 4 and 1). When you have three boys, it’s all about wrestling, touch football and pretending you’re pirates and playing with swords. As we ran around the house like five kids, we played the Shuffle in the background. Honestly, it was one of those moments, those “thank you for this life” moments. In the background, Pete Townsend’s My Love Open the Door (I replayed it about three times. That song rocks!), Ben Harper’s When She Believes and Sexual Healing (Is he one of the greatest artists of this generation?), Outkast’s Hey Ya (makes you sweat) and Nick Drake’s One of These Things First (reminds me of my summers).
That’s it for now! Tomorrow I leave for Phoenix to cover Super Bowl XLII where the New York Giants will take on the New England Patriots. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m truly a man in a woman’s body. There is nothing that I LOVE more than sports. In fact, my dream job is sitting in the booth with Madden and Michaels or doing the Fox NFL pre-game show with the guys. Not the sideline reporting thing. In the studio or in the booth, doing the analysis. I’ve been a sportsaholic my whole life and the biggest New York Giants fan. This is a dream!!!! I have been excited about this for months, and I promise you that I will give you ALL of the behind the scenes scoop. Who’s partying with whom? Who’s at the Playboy party and what exactly are they doing there? Who’s talking trash? Predictions? Life-altering moments? If my iPod shuffle works (if it doesn’t, I’ll kill myself), which songs I’ll be listening to? Just think, I can finally listen to my Eminem song!!! So psyched…..my heart is racing just thinking about it!!!!!
And, oh, before I go, since I do have to get ready for live television now and recap the president’s speech from last night, write in and feel free to ask questions. I’m happy to share ideas and take advice or look for your favorite player. We’re in this together! I’ll be on air Thursday and Friday morning from 6-10a.m. and on the Sunday pre-game show with Shepard Smith from Fox News.
January 28, 2008 11:48AM
By Alexis Glick
Rick Goings CEO Tupperware Brands Corporation
Muhtar Kent president/COO Coca-Cola Company
US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff
Emma Thompson
Read More
January 27, 2008 5:03PM
By Alexis Glick
It’s Saturday morning and I’m almost home.! Yeah!! Just about two hours until we arrive and I can’t wait to see my boys! All four of them:). I’m one of “those.” You know, the ones who LOVE to travel but love coming home to their family even more! Anyhow there is so much that I have to tell you about my last 12 hours in Davos. Strap yourself in because this is going to be an unusually long blog!
On Thursday afternoon, amidst all of the craziness, interviews, press conferences, private dinners and parties I received several messages from Rupert Murdoch’s office. He was in Davos like many other of the other executives to discuss many of the global issues facing the planet and in particular spoke on a panel about Rebuilding Brand America (Five Suggestions for the Future President). I was hoping to see him there, either personally or professionally. We tried to set something up in advance while in New York but his schedule was so busy, and the thing about Davos is you are in one meeting after another from 7am to midnight, if not later. So we decided we would exchange contact numbers and emails once we got on the ground and play it by year.
So back to Thursday afternoon. After responding to Rupert’s office and contacts on the ground, I received an invite to dinner on Friday night from Wendi Murdoch, Rupert’s wife. Yes, I was so thrilled and excited!!! I’ve had many meetings and dealings with Rupert while launching and creating the FOX Business Network but have only been to several events with Wendi, and I was so incredibly touched that she invited me to dinner. So the message was a private dinner hosted by Wendi, Queen Rania of Jordan (Wow) and Indra Nooyi of Pepsi (you know, chairman and CEO). Three of the most powerful women in the world. You can imagine my excitement! What do I wear? How do I get there? Where is it?
My producer and photojournalist were heading back to Zurich on Friday at 5pm. I was planning on going with them but when I saw the invite I knew this was going to be special and I had to stay on my own. So I made arrangements to stay, I saved my prettier dress of the two that I brought with me, and I went to the dinner.
Imagine a log cabin in the middle of a golf course covered in snow in the middle of nowhere. The sky is clear, the stars look like crystals and the mountains surrounding you are glowing in the moonlight. It was like a Norman Rockwell painting Dreamy……beyond dreamy. Majestic!
Imagine you’re on your own, where everyone speaks German, your colleagues have left, you have to carry all of your luggage (I planned to return to Zurich after the dinner so that I would make my flight the next morning) and the taxi drops you off at the wrong place. Yes, it happened to me. It always happens to me! The problem is it always seems to happen when you’re most excited, nervous and cannot be late. I arrive at another stunning hotel lobby and ask for the hotel lobby to hold my luggage, take my boots off, put my heels on and no one knows where the dinner is. You could only imagine. What am I going to do? Luckily there was another wonderful local young man who had checked my luggage and who kindly reviewed the email invite and said I was in the wrong location. He quickly offered to drive me — for 20 swiss francs no less but I would have given him anything:). The good news is my parents taught me to be on time so I was about 15 minutes early to the other hotel and therefore I arrived perfectly on time at the Golf Club Davos Mattastrasse.
So I walk in and I am greeted by Indra and her colleague Julie Hamp. Wow!!! I look around the room and realize that it is a room full of women. As you can imagine I had no idea what to expect. I was told that it was an invite to a private dinner but I had no idea who would be attending. The women in the room make my heart skip a beat just telling you. Wendi Murdoch; Indra Nooyi; Queen Rani; the Saudi Arabian Royal Family’s Princess Loulwa Al-Fiasal (grandaughter of King Abdulaziz, the founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a champion of women’s education and Vice Chairwoman of the Board and the General Supervisor of Effat College) and daughter (also a Princess); Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the former Finance and Foreign Minister of Nigeria (a role never occupied by a woman in history) and now a managing director of the World Bank, which makes her the second most powerful person at the World Bank behind President Robert Zoellick; Brenda Barnes, the president, chairman and CEO Sara Lee; Annie Lennox; Lucy Southworth (Larry Page’s better half :)…you know the Google guys); Sarah Brown, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s wife; former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s wife Cherie Booth; Joanne Lipman, Portfolio magazine’s editor, and so many others that would take your breath away. I’d say about 30 to 40 women in all arrived for a sitdown dinner. The purpose of the meeting? Maternal mortality. Are you still breathing? I’m not
So what is maternal mortality? It’s when a woman dies while giving birth to her baby. In the developing world, 1 in 7 women die from childbirth. In developed countries like the United States, that’s 1 in 48,000. Every minute across the world, one woman dies in childbirth due to pregnancy related complications. The child is orphaned and the family is devastated. If a woman dies during childbirth, 9 out of 10 times the newborn will die, too. To demonstrate how shocking and truly devastating it is, Indra posed for a picture with six other women. Why? Because one in seven of us would die in child birth, she said. Throughout the night I listened to women, many of whom had never met each other before, discuss ways to make a difference and change the health care, training and outlook for women everywhere. To say that I was touched and in awe would do it little justice. These women spoke with passion and commitment. They spoke from the heart. Many of them have their own children and couldn’t imagine losing their mother, sister, friend or co-worker to birth. Many of them have lived in places like Africa. They have seen firsthand how little is needed to change the circumstances. It disheartens every one of us and yet somehow we feel disconnected here in the United States. How can we reconnect? Reach out? Make a difference? Change one person’s life?
Indra told us a story about how each year her executive team gets a $200 gift card. This year, each executive received a child. For $22 a month for two years, Pepsi paid for each executive to in essence adopt a child by giving them the funds needed to change their life: receive health care, shelter, education and hope.
Annie Lennox talked about her cause called Sing. She has traveled throughout Africa and is very passionate about changing the life expectancy for young children infected with HIV Aids. She told us a story about one young girl with HIV that she met while traveling in Africa. The family had picked out a casket for her imminent death. Caskets are commonplace and parents and loved ones see no opportunity for hope because they have no way of fighting the inevitable. She brought us a photo of what she looked like when they first met and then a photo of her six months later. It took your breath away. The first photo was of a child malnourished and on the brink of death. She was a healthy, beautiful girl glowing with chubby cheeks. She talked about her hope and her plans and she said, “I found my calling. I use my voice and my music to spread a message and I will fight this cause until the day I die.”
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who just became a managing director several months ago at the World Bank and probably is one of the most inspirational speakers that I have ever heard and someone who grew up in Africa, told us the real truth, or as she said the “uncomfortable truth.” She talked about how so many of the continent’s best and youngest doctors are educated and then leave the continent to practice medicine elsewhere. She said this is our fault, we need to incentivize them to stay home and provide care. She talked about the men, the husbands who don’t want or allow their wives to receive health care. How they deny a birthing coach or doctor in their homes. How the supplies and medical training required are so minimal it would break your heart. She talked about organizations, foundations, NGO’s that speak about change and yet they don’t have local African women or men at the table to discuss that change.
As you can imagine, it was an evening I’ll never forget but there’s more. Wendi Murdoch — whom I fell in love with (I know that she is my boss’s wife but this has nothing to do with it…honestly) — grabbed me and introduced me to every woman in the room. She planned the event down to every detail. She was stunning, fun, genuine and treated me like I was her sister. She shepherded me through the entire night. She’s infectious! The kind of person you gravitate toward. The life of the party, and oh, by the way, she’s as tall and thin as Cameron Diaz. I’m jealous She sat me directly across from her at the table and next to the editor of The Sun in London Rebekah Wadw (the first female editor of the newspaper and also the first woman to edit a “red copy” daily owned by News Corp) and Larry Page’s wife. She also created this myspace page dedicated to the cause. I urge you to take a look: myspace.com/davosdinner
So you think the story ends here. Well it does not!!!! It gets even crazier. Strap in. This is a moment I’ll NEVER forget. In the middle of the dinner Wendi got up a couple times to sneak into the kitchen. I could tell she had something up her sleeve but I couldn’t tell what. Bono, in a chef jacket, walks out and serves us dinner. Are you freaking out? I was speechless. In his yellow shades no less. My favorite singer and band of ALL time and he serving us dinner. No music. No speech. Just helping out and making the women swoon. That’s not all! About a half hour later wine and water served by Sergey Brin, Larry Page and Eric Schmidt from Google. Are you dying? I am :). Then like any great gentleman, my boss and Wendi’s husband, Rupert, comes out serves us water and, here’s the real kicker, vodka shots! It was priceless and precisely why he is who he is. A media mogul, a risk taker, a visionary and a real human being just like everyone of us who likes to have some fun. You ask what was he wearing? A button down shirt, pants and sneakers
There have been moments in my life that I’ll never forget, like meeting my husband, marrying my husband, giving birth to my three sons, watching Cal Ripkin break the record for consecutive games played in Camden Yards, going to Super Bowl XXXII when Denver beat the Green Bay Packers, winning an award for alumni achievement from Columbia University and meeting a man who said Starbucks saved his life. This is one of those moments!
A little later I’ll bring you my recap of DAVOS 2008, including highlights and what you can expect next on this blog (hint…..it’s in Phoenix and it involves New York and New England:) !!!
January 25, 2008 9:58AM
By Alexis Glick
Ok so I’ve tapped everyone of my guests today for more gossip and I’ve got some new snippets that I know you’ll like. First of all, at McKinsey’s party last night, Steve Schwartzman of Blackstone (BX) dancing on the dance floor with Jeff Rosen, one of the partners of Lazard Freres. Larry Paige of Google (GOOG). Think I told you that earlier. No sleep. Losing my mind! Oh and how could I forget? The dance floor is a pool. They cover it for the party. Who knew? Given how hot it was this year I for one say leave it open and let us swim to cool down after we sweat on the dance floor. No bikini’s of course :). I think I’d cry!
Also I had a blast interviewing the Hasbro (HAS) Chairman Alan Hassenfeld. He is so cool and so funny. Reminds me of Gene Wilder :). Aside from giving him the triple Swiss cheek kiss on television I interrogated him about some behinds-the-scenes toy gossip. The next Transformers movie is in the works. Due to the Writers Strike, he’s thinking 2010. So look for new Transformer gear. Also the big one: G.I. Joe is due out in 2009. He was so excited about that. They have owned the licensing rights since 1964. His father, who ran Hasbro, initially gave him a G.I. Joe figure and his dad asked him if he liked it and would play with it. Alan told his dad not to do it. Well, as you now know his father, luckily didn’t take Alan’s advice. Alan is third generation and has a strong love affair with toys and making people happy. It’s in his genes! He’s doing great things to standardize regulation and manufacturing of products across the World. He’s a true leader and I’m glad to say that I think I’ve made a great friend in him. Tonight it’s all about Google. The Google party is apparently the best party of all. Don’t think that I’ll make it. We’ll see. I have a couple dinners this evening. Doing my best to bring you the inside scoop. The real scoop is I’m dying for some chocolate! I haven’t had any since I first arrived. I’ve been eating croissants and pizza when we have a moment (which we never have). Thank God for Spanx
January 25, 2008 8:09AM
By Alexis Glick
Good Morning! So we made it. Night two in party central. Wow!!! That’s all I can say. After the visit to the local pub (my favorite spot thus far), we made our way back to the Hotel Belvedere for the McKinsey party. As soon as we arrived in the lobby (where everyone congregates) I had another one of my is-this-me-or-am-I-dreaming moments? Seriously. I was in awe.
First up, Michael Dell, the chairman of Dell. One of his top executives Paul Bell and his wife Maryann Gallivan are very good friends and I’ve met Michael a couple times at events with them. So like a good girl with no reservations (what the hell, I am in Davos) I reintroduced myself and started talking to him. He was so nice. We talked about our children and our mutual friends’ recent move back from London to Austin, Texas, where Dell is based. The one thing I couldn’t get off my mind: this man doesn’t age. He looks as young today as he did when I first met him eight years ago. He’s approachable, down to earth and very real. Don’t you just love that?!
Next up, as I’m talking to Michael Dell, Jamie Dimon (CEO of JP Morgan and current rock star in the financial community) walks up to me and says, “Hi Alexis! How are you?” Now, I’ve met him before back in my Wall Street days, and when I first joined CNBC four years ago, I interviewed him several times, but I was in shock when he walked up to me. He was so casual, warm, exceptionally down to earth. We didn’t talk business. We talked about life, family, the new FOX Business Network. He congratulated us on our launch and success and talked about the people he’s met in Davos. He was terrific. This man should be running one of the biggest financial institutions. There is absolutely nothing pretentious about him and he’s so smart but in a calming way. Personal prediction: Someday he’s back where he started at Citi with Vikram Pandit (could you imagine Citi and JP Morgan fully merged :)!!!!!
So the story doesn’t end there. Becky Quick of CNBC hung out with us. She’s adorable. I’m a big fan! Plus, I spent time with Andy Serwer, managing editor of Fortune Magazine and Andrew Sorkin from the New York Times. Just the tip of the iceberg. So slowly, little by little, we made our way over to the McKinsey party! Insane. Seriously crazy. It was mobbed!!! Everyone who was anyone (with the exception of us who begged our way in….not quite… but it sounds good….sorry had to make it up) was there. Michael Dell, Jeff Zucker, the Google guys, Jamie Dimon and Wes Edens, chairman and CEO of Fortress Investment Group…the list could go on. The 13-piece band was sick. They played rock and roll the whole time! The place was so hot because people were packed in like sardines. Everyone was in a party mood. We stayed a couple hours and then retired back to our apartment. Seriously pooped but glad we made it out!
January 24, 2008 4:14PM
By Alexis Glick
Talk about power players. Bill Gates this evening talked about “Creative Capitalism” in front of a full house here in Davos. Here is some of what he said. See what he said about his time with Bono. When he speaks, people listen. Some agree. Some disagree. The premise is that the rich, wealthy corporations need to give a helping hand to the poor. Také a look below. There’s a reason why this man — and just as importantly his wife Melinda — have one of the best-known foundations in the world. The eight-year-old charity now has $70 billion dollars. Yes, $70 B as in Billion. Remember: Warren Buffett announced that he was leaving his fortune to the foundation valued at $31 billion in 2006.
Gates: We Need to Refine Capitalism
“We have to find a way to make the aspects of capitalism that serve wealthier people serve poorer people as well. The genius of capitalism lies in its ability to make self interest serve the wider interest. The potential of a big financial return for innovation unleashes a broad set of talented people in pursuit of many different discoveries. This system driven by self interest is responsible for the incredible innovations that have improved so many lives. But to harness this power so it benefits everyone we need to refine the system.”
Gates, Bono and Creative Capitalism
“One of the most inventive forms of creative capitalism involves someone we all know well. A few years ago I was sitting at a bar here in Davos with Bono. Late at night after a few drinks he was on fire talking about how we could get a percentage of each purchase from civic-minded companies to help change the world. He kept calling people, waking them up, and handing me the phone to show me the interest. Well, it’s taken time to get this going but he was right. If you give people a chance to associate themselves with a cause they care about while buying a great product, they will.”
Gates: I Challenge You To Help Poor
“I’d like to ask everyone here whether you’re in business, government, or the non-profit world, to take on a project of creative capitalism in the coming year and see where you can stretch the reach of market forces to help push things forward. Whether it’s foreign aid or charitable gifts or new products can you find a way to make the power of the market place helps the poor?”
Gates: Phenomenal Age Change World
“We’re living in a phenomenal age. If we can spend the early decades of the 21st century finding approaches that meet the needs of the poor in ways that generate profits and recognitions for business we will have found a sustainable way to reduce poverty in the world. The task is open-ended. It will never be finished, but a passionate effort to answer this challenge will help change the world. I’m excited to be part of it. Thank you. (Applause)”
January 24, 2008 4:12PM
By Alexis Glick
So mini blog time. Just finished interview with Greifeld at his party. Dinner in Chami’s Pub (it means Chimney in English) in Davos, Switzerland, drinking a Feldschlosschen (local beer) with my partners in crime, Jill Woerner (producer extraordinaire) and Lori Bullerdick (photojournalist/best photographer on the planet)!!!! Nothing like a local beer, a cheeseburger and some potato skins to make up for a long and exhausting day. They have pictures of Jim Morrison, Charlie Parker (Sax player) and the Muppets guys wall to wall. Oh man….and now they’re playing Steve Miller. Now Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry.” Zen moment :)……Pictures to follow.
Oh my goodness…..how could I forget. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff. He might have been one of the coolest guys that I ever met. Smart as a whip, charming, down to earth and oh, by the way, biggest entourage with him. His team did two scouting sessions of our location. And, oh, he’s one of “those.” You know the ones who flew in by helicopter (to arrange that, a cool $8,000 US although his was a military aircraft. Not the same thing for CEOs). The entourage was due to the security surrounding him
Now….K.T. Tunstall, “Black Horse in a Cherry Tree.”
Almost time for McKinsey party. Should we get out their on that dance floor? Not sure. Might wind up on the Daily Show again. Yikes :). YouTube moment. Not!!!
