The future of the Times: Better than you think

David Geffen, your services may not be required.

Last month, the billionaire Dreamworks co-founder quietly extended a lifeline to the Sulzberger family, signaling his willingness to buy The New York Times and set it up as a non-profit. It looked like a plausible out for the Sulzbergers, who were thought by some observers to be in real danger of losing control of the paper.