Conrad Moffat Black, Lord Black of Crossharbour, KSG is a Canadian-born British former newspaper publisher and author. He is a non-affiliated life peer.
Black controlled Hollinger International, once the world's third-largest English-language newspaper empire, which published The Daily Telegraph , Chicago Sun-Times , The Jerusalem Post , National Post , most of the leading newspapers in Australia and Canada and hundreds of community newspapers in North America, before controversy erupted over the sale of some of the company's assets, after Black determined to reduce involvement in the newspaper industry as the threat of the internet loomed.
In 2004, prosecution of Black began in the United States. Over $80 million in assets were alleged to have been improperly taken and/or spent by Black. He was convicted of three counts of fraud and one count of obstruction of justice in a U.S. court in 2007 and sentenced to six and a half years' imprisonment. In 2011, two of the charges were overturned on appeal and he was re-sentenced to 42 months in prison on one count of mail fraud and one count of obstruction of justice. He was acquitted of nine counts and four others were abandoned during the trial. In 2010 all four counts were vacated unanimously by the Supreme Court of the United States, which remanded the services statute, under which Black was convicted. In 2011, two of the counts were confirmed as acquittals to prison for seven months to complete his sentence. After serving a total of three years and two weeks Black was released on May 4, 2012. Black has returned to commercial life as an active investor in a number of different countries, but is not an officer or director of any Canadian or American companies. He has declined to reveal his interests publicly.
“I had never heard of [Walter] Young before, and I do not expect to hear from him again.”
on a reviewer of his biography of Maurice Duplessis
The Establishment Man by Peter Newman
“Like all fads, corporate governance has its zealots”
On corporate governance, in May 2003
"The world according to Conrad Black", 2007
on the ill-planned succession at Argus Corporation in 1978
The Establishment Man by Peter Newman
“The bedraggled warhorse of American blowhardism.”
On journalist Norman Mailer
"The world according to Conrad Black", 2007
Black, Conrad et al, "A Brief to the Special Senate Committee on the Mass Media from the Sherbrooke Record...", 1969 : Despite Black's involvement in press ownership, he heaped scorn on journalism
on submitting his revised MA dissertation in history to the faculty of Université Laval
The Establishment Man by Peter Newman
On Canadian author John Ralston Saul
"The world according to Conrad Black", 2007
“An overgenerous reinsurance policy for an underachieving people.”
About Canada's social welfare system
"Conrad Black", Slate, August 31, 2001
on the national weakness for the politics of envy
The Establishment Man by Peter Newman
“Greed has been severely underestimated and denigrated – unfairly so, in my opinion.”
On avarice
"The world according to Conrad Black", 2007
on one of his mentors
The Establishment Man by Peter Newman
With sadness but with certitude, I accept that choice.
radio broadcast on 26 July 1974, the day Black left Quebec for good
The Establishment Man by Peter Newman
“A jumped-up little twerp [and a] prime candidate for exorcism”
Characterisation of the Bishop of Calgary for backing a strike at Black's Calgary Herald newspaper.
"Conrad Black", Slate, August 31, 2001
The Establishment Man by Peter Newman
The Establishment Man by Peter Newman
“[The] swarming, grunting masses of jackals…”
On investigative journalists:
"The world according to Conrad Black", 2007
“Since biblical times, and probably before, the wealthy have been envied and condemned.”
At the time of his fraud trial in 2007, Black was aware of the disdain much of the public held towards him because of his wealth.
Source: Clark, Andrew "At some level, he's still asking the same question as he was when he was seven or eight - who am I?" http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/mar/16/pressandpublishing.citynews The Guardian, March 16, 2007
On U.S. Democratic senators opposed to the appointment of Robert Bork to the U.S. Supreme Court, in 1988.
"The world according to Conrad Black", 2007
