Media Magnate Jann Wenner Puts His 22-Year-Old Son, Gus, In Charge
No one is surprised when the boss helps his young son get a position at his office. But most execs wouldn't dare suggest that their 22-year old be put in the top slot at their firm, if only because of the ridicule that would surely follow. But most execs aren't Jann Wenner, the legendary founder and mercurial owner of Rolling Stone magazine. On Monday, brimming with paternal pride, he announced that his son, Gus Wenner, pictured above, was the new head of the magazine's website, RollingStone.com. (The announcement was first reported by New York gossip website, Gawker.com.)
Gus, slated to graduate this weekend from Brown University, appears to have entered the Ivy League school at the standard 18 years of age. In his new job, Gus will manage 15 to 20 staffers, overseeing "all aspects of the dot-com -- edit, advertising, social, the whole picture," Jann Wenner told Adweek, an industry magazine. As he further explained,
I didn't expect this. He was initially brought on to be an assistant to the chief digital officer [David Kang], and then David assigned him to this site redesign project. ... He's led that, and made substantial contributions, and really shown what a good leader he is and how deeply he understands it, and impressed me more than anyone."
