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Diary

L.L. Bean third-gen donates island to conservation trust

January 23, 2014

A third-generation member of the family behind US outdoor clothing chain L.L. Bean has donated the island where his grandfather, the family business's founder, hunted for ducks to a conservation charity.

The Simpsons builds bridges between family businesses

January 16, 2014

They may be a dysfunctional family from middle America, but The Simpsons have brought together two family business behemoths, 21st Century Fox and Lego, who have launched a new toy brick set.

They may be a dysfunctional family from middle America, but The Simpsons have brought together two family business behemoths, 21st Century Fox and Lego, who have launched a new toy brick set.

Murdoch is a four-letter word

December 11, 2013

The theme was ‘animals of Indonesia’, but anyone who thought ‘LIVESIHCODRUM’, in The Sunday Telegraph’s weekly word puzzle, was something of the furry variety would have been mistaken.

The NewsCorp-owned Australian paper appeared to carry a hidden message, with the letters on the third line of the word search quiz spelling out ‘Murdoch is evil’ when read backwards.

Walmart accidentally incites an anti-capitalist revolution

December 5, 2013

Walmart’s attempt to make a quick buck off anti-capitalist images by street artist Banksy has backfired, with the artist’s publicist asking to have the items removed.

Walmart’s attempt to make a quick buck off anti-capitalist images by street artist Banksy has backfired, with the artist’s publicist asking to have the items removed.

The retailer, controlled by the Waltons, had been selling canvases and t-shirts bearing the artist’s stenciled images through its website.

One image included a street vendor selling a t-shirt emblazoned with the words ‘Destroy Capitalism’.

LVMH launches fashion award

November 21, 2013

Leading luxury family empire LVMH has launched an initiative this week to support young designers.

Announced by second-gen Delphine Arnault, the international award is open to designers 40-years-old or younger, who have already created two ready-to-wear men’s or women’s collections.

A panel of judges, including Karl Lagerfield and Marc Jacobs will decide on the winner, who will receive €300,000 to invest in their fashion company and support from a team of experts from LVMH to help them develop it over a period of 12 months.

Wahlbergs' fambiz to star in reality TV show

November 14, 2013

Hollywood A-list brothers Mark and Donnie Wahlberg are to star in the latest reality series to document the ins and outs of running a family business.

Wahlburgers, due to air from January next year, will feature the pair, alongside their brother Paul, who is the chief executive of the family's Massachusetts diner – which shares its name with the reality series. Their mother, Alma, will also appear on the show, which will screen on US cable network A&E.

The family restaurant opened in 2011, and is due to expand to Canada next year.

Eccentric heiress’s travel pieces up for grabs

November 4, 2013

One of the most important travel piece commissions for Louis Vuitton second-gen, Georges Vuitton, is to be auctioned off in Paris this week.

The three trunks and tilbury carriage were produced in 1910 for eccentric explorer Blanche de Clermont-Tonnerre, who used it in her travels to India, China, Siberia, Iraq and Persia.

Vuitton was commissioned to produce three trunks, covered in the brand’s then famous red leather, while V Morel produced the carriage.

Hollywood to dramatise Heineken kidnapping

October 18, 2013

The kidnapping of Freddy Heineken is to be dramatised in a new film starring British actor Anthony Hopkins as the Dutch brewery heir.

In 1983, a gang of four criminals who had been friends since childhood abducted Heineken, the third-gen of the brewery empire and the man responsible for its global expansion.

Heineken, along with his chauffeur Ab Doderer, was held for three weeks before being ransomed for 35 million Dutch guilders (€14.4 million) – a record-breaking amount at the time.

Versace calls fake on new television drama

October 9, 2013

The Versace family empire has distanced itself from a made-for-television drama based on the rise of Donatella Versace following the murder of her brother, company founder Gianni Versace.

Premiering in the US over the weekend, House of Versace detailed how Donatella almost bankrupted the luxury fashion brand, following her addiction to drugs.

Family business leader’s sailing face off

October 1, 2013

The founder of one of Australia’s most successful family wine-making businesses has thrown down the gauntlet to Larry Ellison’s Oracle Team USA for the next America’s Cup yacht race.

Bob Oatley, 85, founder of the Rosemount Estate wine label, and his eldest son Sandy, made the challenge to the Oracle founder’s team immediately after it snatched victory from the New Zealand team at the 34th America’s Cup event last week.