No One's Neat Enough to Replace Jann Wenner
The Wall Street Journal interviews Wenner Media's grand dame, Jann Wenner, in which we learn that at 60 years young, Jann really has no plans for retirement or, you know, any clue who might be his successor. And why should he? It's not like he's a human being who might actually die someday. But we digress. At the interview's end, a change of topic reveals, perhaps, why Jann can't fathom stepping down:
WSJ: You have a reputation for being intently focused on neatness — so much so that your employees get memos on the subject. But creative people often thrive in chaos. Why are you so interested in the condition of a staffer's desk?
Mr. Wenner: Well, I'm a neat freak....It seems to me that an orderly desk is reflective of an orderly and organized mind, you know? And there's a level of immaturity to people who just can't clean up after themselves. And I don't think it has anything to do with creativity. We and I have done a great job managing creative people and getting the best out of creative people, so I don't think that my obsession with neatness matters.
And God forbid he hand he reins over to someone who can't appreciate the functional beauty of a rotary desk organizer or, worse, doesn't know how to make sweet love to a well-dusted file cabinet.
