6 d. ago Empire of the Elite by Michael M Grynbaum – inside the glittering world of Condé Nast

How the publisher of Vogue, Vanity Fair and the New Yorker redefined high cultureSamuel Irving “Si” Newhouse Jr became chair of Condé Nast, the magazine group owned by his father’s media company, Advance Publications, in 1975. Under his stewardship, Condé’s roster of glossy publications – titles such as Vogue, GQ and Glamour – broadened to include Architectural Digest, a revived Vanity Fair and the New Yorker. Newhouse spent big in pursuit of clout, and his company’s extravagant approach to expenses became the stuff of legend. Condé positioned itself as a gatekeeper of high-end living but, as Michael Grynbaum explains in Empire of the Elite, its success in the 80s and 90s was down to its willingness to embrace “low” culture.Condé brought pop stars, television personalities and tabloid intrigue into the highbrow fold, reconstituting cultural capital to fit the sensibilities of an emerging yuppie class with little interest in ballet or opera. Several moments stand out, in retrospect: ...

Politics

2 w. ago 'I clipped 731 sheep in 9 hours to take world record – it's like being an elite athlete'

EXCLUSIVE: Shearing is a craft that rewards both technique and toughness and for many years, the culture surrounding it was all about sheer grit, says Matt Smith

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2 w. ago A future master of the universe? Wes Streeting sips champagne with elite at 'world's secret government'

The Health Secretary's attended the Bilderberg Meeting in Sweden, sipping champagne in the company of billionaires, bankers and global power brokers.

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3 w. ago Spaun deserves his dream but US Open chaos did not get best from world’s elite | Ewan Murray

With thick rough around bunkers and pin positions on slopes, Adam Scott called Oakmont ‘borderline unplayable’There should be no sense of demeaning JJ Spaun’s US Open glory if observers question the circumstances. Spaun, not so long ago a journeyman professional, played out his dream by holing out from 65ft on the final green at Oakmont.Spaun is a prime example of how the penny can drop for golfers at different stages. Now 34, he is in the form of his life and bound for the Ryder Cup. When he talked later of being awake at three o’clock on Sunday morning because his young daughter was vomiting, his relatability only grew. Everybody loves an underdog. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Rory McIlroy’s indifference is understandable after achieving his dream | Ewan Murray

Golfer has seemed irritated by elements of the media since completing the career grand slam but is that really a big deal?A snapshot of Rory McIlroy’s new normal arrived the day before the US PGA Championship began. McIlroy’s practice round at Quail Hollow was watched by more than 50, inside the ropes. Journalists, content creators, wannabe content creators everyone wanted not just a glimpse – you can get that from the bleachers – but a piece of golf’s latest grand slam man. McIlroy played a hole while being interviewed for the tournament’s main preview show. All soft, knock-around stuff but inevitably a distraction.It was difficult to shake the notion that Tiger Woods would never have tolerated such a scenario. It is also thankfully a truism that McIlroy is not Tiger Woods. The Northern Irishman’s chatty, warm personality endears him to so many. In a non-tribal sport people root for Rory, none more so than at Augusta National when more that a decade of frustration ended amid euphor...

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3 w. ago Flamengo or Fluminense? I asked a Brazil World Cup winner who can shock Europe’s elite

Exclusive: No country will take more teams to the expanded Club World Cup than Brazil and Kleberson, a 2002 winner with the Selecao, believes Flamengo can go far at the tournament

Events

3 w. ago ‘More than I dreamed of’: Britain’s most decorated Alpine skier Dave Ryding reflects on a groundbreaking career

Britain’s most successful Alpine skier is set to retire at the end of next season. He tells Flo Clifford about his circuitous route to the elite ranks, the highlights of his World Cup career, and his hopes for the future of British skiing

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