Steve Forbes (1947-)
Steve Forbes was born in Morristown, New Jersey in 1947, the oldest of Malcolm (who made Steve wear a kilt to Sunday services) and Roberta Forbes' five children. In grammar school Steve worked for the school newspaper and campaigned with his father who was a Republican State Senator. In high school, Forbes was president of the Young Republicans. After graduating from Princeton University, he married Sabina Beekman, and entered his family's publishing business, working as a researcher and then as a reporter. Upon his father's death of a heart attack in 1990, Steve Forbes became President and C.E.O. of Forbes Inc. Under his leadership , Forbes Magazine has become the United States' leading business publication. Forbes is the only writer to have won the prestigious Crystal Owl Award four times. In 1993, the multi-millionaire "playboy" (note: that term is used loosely) was named Chairman of the Board of Directors of Empower America, a political reform organization founded by Jack Kemp, Bill Bennett and Jeanne Kirkpatrick. In 1996 Forbes ran for the Republican party presidential nomination, spending $42 million of his own money. He did well initially but after the Christian Coalition said (unfairly according to Forbes) that he was pro-abortion rights, Forbes responded with "The Christian Coalition does not speak for most Christians." This alienated him from much of the religious right in the party and sunk his chances. Forbes married Sabina Beekman in 1971, has 5 daughters, and currently resides in Bedminster, New Jersey. |