I own Tribune Company, and I just met the new CEO Sam Zell

Tribune Tower Lobby, "YOU Own This Place Now!"

Tribune Company with new CEO Sam Zell is now owned by the Tribune employees and nobody else. This morning the Tribune Tower features a new banner in the lobby stating, “YOU Own This Place Now!” What a great sign! Everyone is walking around the tower stating that he or she owns the company.

Later in the morning I go back down to the Tribune Tower lobby to photograph the new sign. There is a group of fifteen to twenty Tribune employees who are also down there taking a photo of their group in front of the sign. Once they see me with a camera, they jump over to me to take a photo with their camera.

As soon as I’m setting up to shoot, some of the girls exclaimed, “oh my God! Look who’s walking through the door!” Then Sam Zell walks into the Tribune lobby complete with a orange ball cap on and jeans. One of his associates is with him and points out the sign to him. Zell finds the sign quite humorous and had a good Zell-a-riffic laugh. The group of Tribune employees rushes over to meet him.

Sam Zell is one nice guy. It was 10:47am and he just arrived at the Tower for a 11:00am Q&A and with the Chicago Tribune and LA Times press. Yet he still took the time to shake everybody’s hand, and didn’t rush through it at all. I didn’t to waste Mr. Zell’s time (and I know how he hates butt-kissers), so I just stood off to the side. And yet he still turned over to me and waved at me. Very nice.

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Abhay Shah
Abhay Shah
15 years ago

Very nice. If you watched yesterday’s interview he said that the stocks of companies that make ties dropped quite a bit when Tribune deal was closed. There was a chuckle from the reporters pool. As an owner of a major corporation, I recommend giving yourself the day off. Sam would approve 😀

Tony
Tony
15 years ago

Great story.. We didn’t have any cool banners at FC today.

unlikelymoose
15 years ago

You own the continental United States and Central America? wow.

Edward Padgett
15 years ago

Greetings fellow media company owner, someone forgot to create a sign for us co-owners at the Los Angeles Times, but think of the money we saved to pay off the debt. Ditto on granting you the day off. Cheers colleagues

Tom Saaristo
15 years ago

Nice business move there, spud! Congratulations! Will everyone get the chance to sit in the top office at that ginormous desk?

Ronnie Pineda
15 years ago

Hey Ed, We did get a banner downtown in the globe lobby. I didn’t see one in O.C. Ronnie

Edward Padgett
15 years ago

Brother Ronnie, I saw the picture in the newspaper but feel we deserve a banner at the production facilities as well. Merry Christmas my brother and to our co-owner and blogger of this site, Matt! Peace, Eddie

John Spiegel
John Spiegel
15 years ago

employee at Allentown Morning Call looking to get a meesage to Mr. Zell

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