It seems Facebook's new investor is keen to downplay its ties with "the hard man of Russia," an oligarch one critic called a "gangster and racketeer." How inconvenient, then, that said oligarch is reportedly buying up more shares.

The Financial Times reports that "among the biggest backers" of Facebook's new funder is Alisher Usmanov. He might be playing sugar daddy to a freewheeling social network, but the Russian oligarch is also known as a "devourer of websites" that dared to mention certain allegations about his past.

We'll admit, there were some funny lines in this serenade to Rupert Murdoch at the Wall Street Journal's "D" event. But isn't buttering up the boss at the absolute beginning of your tech conference a little blatant?

Learning Annex instructor Donald Trump has finally explained—under oath!—how he comes up with his own mysterious "net worth": first he does a "mental projection," then he's a billionaire, simple as that!

Could shady Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim become the New York Times Co.'s biggest shareholder in the next couple of years? Sure he could, easy! It all depends how greedy the (broke-ish) young Sulzberger kids are:

Peter Brant seems to be going through the billionaire's version of mid-life crisis. It's been brutal on his second, and soon to be ex-, wife.

$3.2 million apartment-owner Jared Kushner has fired the New York Observer's cleaning lady. Too expensive.

New York Observer owner and boy wonder Jared Kushner just bought a ("sexy") new $3.2 million apartment. In other news, we hear he'd like out of that paper. If only.

Just a few hours after after Somali pirates were shot and an American captain rescued, Tina Brown was able to tell everyone What It All Means: We're all pirates. But Tina Brown especially.

Imprisoned former press mogul Conrad Black, Baron Black of Crossharbour, spends his time in the penitentiary munching granola, answering email, and practicing piano. Rather like a resort for like-minded intellectuals, is it not?

Brian Tierney was a bulldog Philadelphia PR man much hated by Philadelphia journalists before he led a group that bought the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News in 2006. Let's review how that's worked out:

Look, it's the portrait of CBS boss Les Moonves and his wife Julie Chen that hangs in their den. It shows various hangers-on toasting the couple as Les is maybe getting a hand job? [NYT]

The New York Times needed a tough story on Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, to prove its newsroom's independence after borrowing $250 million from the guy. The story's here! But is it tough? Eh.

Being a media mogul can get tiring. Could the news that New York magazine owner Bruce Wasserstein is marrying a younger woman signal a bit of loss of interest in his marriage to the magazine?

Stock downgrades. Acquisitions that didn't pan out. Businesses leaking cash. Layoffs. And a whole lot of pessimism about the future. Is Rupert Murdoch losing his magic, wrinkly touch?

Bidding on Dan Lacey's one-of-a-kind Pancake Head Nick Denton painting has reached $300, thanks to interest from current and former employees. Remember: the Keith Gessen remix book went for $890. Six days left, people. [Previously]

Just when you thought Pancake-themed political artist Dan Lacey couldn't top his Obama bear wrestling piece, witness this: Gawker Media overlord Nick Denton, with pancakes on his head. This is for sale to the public.

Jon Stewart humiliated pundit Tucker Carlson with a public deconstruction years ago. But his disassembling of media villain Rupert Murdoch last night was, in a way, more damning.

German billionaire Adolf Merckle, one of the 100 richest people in the world, has killed himself by jumping in front of a train—emotionally "broken" over a bad bet on Volkswagen last year.

Conservative Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz looked like an up-and-coming mogul in the midst of the Bush administration, but now the funder of anti-gay groups is losing his partners.