Malcolm Forbes: The Man Who Had Everything

In what is likely to be a much gossipped-about biography of magazine empire-builder Forbes, Wall Street Journal reporter Winans contrasts the flamboyant public figure and family man with the lonely, insecure homosexual. The author traces the development under his stewardship of Forbes magazine's aggressively corporate image, slick format and sundry innovations--such as the ``Rich List''--for the ``house organ'' of capitalism. Darling of the press, hero of the well-heeled, Forbes gave extravagant parties, lent his legend to a supposed romance with Elizabeth Taylor, and had a much-publicized flair for combining corporate interests, charity and pleasure. Perhaps the news in the book is that Forbes was accompanied on his hot-air balloon foreign tours by a retinue of gays whom he clothed in uniforms. Winans is fair-minded and does justice to the man's accomplishments while searching for his motivations. Photos not seen by PW . (Oct.)