Why do so many people have so much scorn for Ronald Burkle?
The self-made billionaire’s ex-wife accuses him of cheating her out of a fortune and having her and her (ex-con) boyfriend followed. He has been the target of two dreaded media figures: The infamous Hollywood sleaze-digger and private eye Anthony Pellicano, whom Burkle feared was investigating him; and a freelancer for the New York Post who (says Burkle) tried to extort $100,000 from him to keep Burkle out of the tabloid’s dreaded gossip column, Page Six. It has mentioned Burkle 22 times in five years, often unflatteringly.
Burkle also has been slapped around by the bitchy media blog Gawker.com–53 citings since March. When one item unfavorably contrasted him with a financier he detests, Burkle’s lawyers launched a letter demanding a retraction and an apology. Gawker editors jeered and posted the letter for all to see; a day later apologized, acidly. The mainstream business press beats up on him, essentially for buying access and influence among politicians and leaders of the pension funds that invest with him (FORBES included).
