Finding a way to diversify soon became his obsession. He began meeting with media titans like Jonathan Klein, then president of CNN, and studying books by management gurus like GEs former CEO Jack Welch. The timing was awful: In 2004, federal regulators concluded that Riggsthe bank that had financed the Mexican-American War and the purchase of Alaskahad overlooked suspicious transactions involving government officials of Saudi Arabia and Equatorial Guinea. As a boy, he spent afternoons in front of his Atari 800, writing code for knockoff Space Invaders games and tinkering with a so-called bulletin-board system that was a precursor to the internet. Three years ago, Robert Allbritton flew his executive team to Oklahoma City to kick the tires on a pair of television stations. Could the same scenario unfold? Investigators reviewed Riggss diplomatic business and discovered loopholes and gaps in the way the bank monitored deposits. People liked the idea, VandeHei says. The companys group head left, and I replaced him, Allbritton says. He can see all of Politico and the assignment desk of the TV stations. When Robert was seven, the Allbrittons pulled up stakes and moved to a house in Georgetown. Jim was no longer having fun at this job and was regarding Robert as a pain in the ass, says a person familiar with these discussions. They have a hybrid model that relies on both print and digital, she says. Riggs had earned its good name. The three talked. She worked under Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health for several years prior to completing her medical degree at Howard University College of Medicine. Tolchin, a Washington reporter with the New York Times for 40 years, had started the Hill and retired to write books. They valued their timetheir mind share, as he once put it. Riggs was in the past; Allbritton Communications was the future, and Robert was in charge. I fully intended to resurrect it, he says. I wouldnt do this thing, he told his parents. After her internship in internal medicine, Dr. Allbritton completed a two-year melanoma research fellowship and her residency in dermatology at the Washington Hospital Center. I was bored to tears, he says. You either do something big, concentrate on the Internet, or go home.. He was often the first to arrive and regularly worked 18-hour days. Are they good stations? his father asked. Senate investigators discovered that Riggs had helped Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet hide millions of dollars in assets. Together, VandeHei and Allbritton exported Politicos model to new markets both domestic and international. Scooping the competition was only half the game. Gary Peck, MD Axel Springer executives had made clear to Harris, VandeHei, and other Politico leaders that the company was interested in expanding their partnership. Full Body Cancer Screen VandeHei and Harris handed out a memo that described their vision. I wake up every morning and say, Thank you, God, for a wonderful day. . His father, Joe Allbritton, had been a big player in Washington business and political circles since coming from Texas in 1973; he entered the media market by buying the old Washington Star and Channel 7, and he took control of Riggs National Bank. The sources of tension included all the pitfalls that have driven apart other successful collaborations: power, ambition, ego, glory. Allbritton received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University in 1992, [8] and has served as a member of its board of trustees. Allbritton dismisses the negative ratinghe says his company is in great shape and wont miss one bond payment. He has written about the Koch Brothers attempt to take over The Cato Institute, David Gregorys ouster as moderator of NBCs Meet the Press, the collapse of Washingtons Metro system, and the conflict that split apart the founders of Politico. I dont need the money, he says. They have done a very good job of establishing themselves as one of the go-to sites for Washington political coverage, says Brian Kelly, editor of U.S. News.
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