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Recent Press Releases (U.S. and international) for magazine issues and staff changes may be found below. Please note that for many issues there exists only a highlights sheet, while for others there may also be a full press release. The cover of FORTUNE's current issue is pictured at right. Please contact the appropriate communications staff member with any questions.
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Highlights of the January 21, 2008 Issue of FORTUNE
FEATURES THE $100 BILLION WOMAN, by Patricia Sellers, page 44 Years before Melinda French met and married Bill Gates, she was growing up in Dallas in a hard-working middle-class family. Today she is living in a gargantuan high-tech mansion on the shores of Lake Washington, married to the richest man in America — and giving billions of dollars away. Along the way, Melinda has sacrificed privacy, security, simplicity and normalcy. And isn't anyone married to Bill Gates susceptible to losing her identity — to being perceived as the ultimate accessory? Today at 43, Melinda Gates is ready to reveal her full self — to go public, so to speak. Gates sat down with FORTUNE for her first-ever profile and opened up about living with Bill, working with Warren Buffet, and giving away their billions. THE FACE OF PHILANTHROPY, photographs by Robyn Twomey, page 58 Bankers. Actors. Technologists. The world of giving is filled with well-meaning and talented individuals from every background — but the people in this FORTUNE photo portfolio have the power, drive, and business acumen to really make a difference. They also hold the purse string to millions, and in some cases, billions of dollars. From eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, whose new organization uses business tools to make the world a better place, to venture philanthropist Jacqueline Novogratz, a banker turned social entrepreneur who is turning to capitalism — not charity — to improve the lives of the poor, these influential altruists are making their mark on philanthropy. GENTLEMEN, START YOUR TURNAROUND, by Alex Taylor III, page 70 The season always seems to be winter for GM. Yet for the first time in years, signs of warming are emerging. GM chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner is feeling good about the automaker's progress, especially in the troubled heart of its business: making and selling cars in North America. GM's latest new-car launches — Buick Enclave, Cadillac CTS, Chevrolet Malibu — are getting enthusiastic reviews and generating strong sales. The new products are giving GM a much-needed image boost in the marketplace, while Wagoner has been making hugs cuts in costs on the factory floor. But does all this add up to a long-overdue turnaround in GM's financial health? FORTUNE takes a rare inside look at Wagoner's overhaul. GALVANIZING GUCCI, by Peter Gumbel, page 80 Ridiculed as an ice cream salesman when he took the reins of the Gucci Group in 2004, Robert Polet is proving that a fat bottom line is the ultimate fashion statement. Far from hastening the downfall of Gucci, as some fashionistas predicted, Polet has led the group through three years of booming sales and even faster profit growth. Gucci Group comprises ten luxury brands, eight of which, including Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, jeweler Boucheron, and couture house Yves Saint Laurent, were losing money when Polet took over. The group's margins still aren't as fat as those of archrival LVMH. But in a boom time for luxury goods firms, it has easily outperformed the sector. FORTUNE gives an in-depth look at the power of Polet. HOW BRAZIL OUTFARMED THE AMERICAN FARMER, by Susanna B. Hecht and Charles C. Mann, page 92 Central Brazil is home to a big swath of soy-producing lands that stretch between the Andes and the Atlantic forest from northern Argentina to the southern flanks of the Amazon basin. Soylandia, as this immense region might be called, is almost entirely unknown to Americans. But it may well be the future of one of the world's most important industries: grain agriculture. Twenty years ago it would have seemed absurd for an American farmer to move to South America. U.S. growers still aren't rushing in en masse, but the notion of doing so no longer seems ridiculous. Today Soylandia, with nearly 60% of the world market, dominates the global soy trade. And Brazil — the heart of Soylandia — is an agricultural powerhouse. Not only is it the world's biggest soy exporter, a titled it seized from the U.S. in 2006, but it has the world's biggest farm trade surplus, $27.5 billion last year. After a half-century of dominance, the U.S. is losing its edge in agriculture to this booming, high-tech Latin-American powerhouse. FIRST Sub Prime The next generation of submarines for the fast-growing underseas navies. We Didn't Know Jack A new biography of Jack Welch reminds us of the terrifying office politics at GE in the '80s and '90s. Opera's Season Pr(emir) Qatar's sheikh mixes business with pleasure at Milan's La Scala opera house. Fire Sale With foreclosures soaring, the insurance industry is bracing for an increase in arson by homeowners looking for a way out. The Deal The Fed's clout isn't what it used to be. Does it matter? Battle for the Wi-Fi Skies Turning the airplane cabin into a wireless hot spot. Eau de Potato Impresarios Lately it seems the mark of a celebrity is having your very own vodka. An expert samples five of them. Value Driven AmEx gets CEO pay right. M&A War Chests Ten companies that are sitting on major cash and may be on the move in 2008. TECHNOLOGY Six Leaps of Innovation From zippy electric motorcycles to new heights in web politicking. Here's a rundown of what and whom to keep an eye on in 2008. Techland U.S. productivity, meet your new worst enemy. Need to Know Cool stuff on FORTUNE's radar screen. INVESTING Tech Stocks for Tough Times Companies that help customers save money are likely to thrive in a difficult climate. Face-off Two fund managers with opposing views weigh in on what's in store for Citigroup and its stock.
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CONTACT: Erin Clinton
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