Sidney Harman became a national figure last year when the self-made billionaire bought Newsweek magazine from the Washington Post Company, but RBR-TVBR readers knew him long before that as founder of the audio technology company Harman International Industries. He has now died at age 92.
Harman had downplayed the significance of his age when he bought Newsweek for a buck and debt assumption, saying he looked forward to “this great journalistic, business and technological challenge.” In a move to expand digitally, Harman merged Newsweek with The Daily Beast website.
A statement from the Harman family was posted Wednesday (4/13) on The Daily Beast website:
“Sidney Harman died last night of complications from acute myeloid leukemia at the young age of almost 93. He first learned of his illness one month ago and remained vigorously engaged as Executive Chairman of Newsweek, and Chairman of the Academy for Polymathic Study at the University of Southern California. He died in Washington, D.C., a city he loved and supported in so many ways, surrounded by his wife and children. Funeral arrangements will be private. Celebrations of Sidney’s extraordinary life will be held both in Washington and Los Angeles, at dates still to be determined.”
Harman’s widow is Hon. Jane Harman, who recently resigned from the US House of Representatives (D-CA) to serve as head of the Woodrow Wilson Center.
