A Tale of Two Dynasties

Newsweek, June, 2007 by Johnnie L. Roberts

William Cox Jr.'s heart began to fail him early this spring as he was waiting for a flight at JFK International Airport. At 76, Cox is a respected member of the Bancroft family, which controls Dow Jones & Co., publisher of The Wall Street Journal. Known as Big Bill, Cox was the unusual family member who had made a career at the Journal, helping to launch The Wall Street Journal Europe. Although three generations of his relatives have squabbled in the past over the future of Dow Jones, they were largely united in their fondness for Big Bill. And they knew he would do anything in his power to keep the Journal independent.

But even as Big Bill was convalescing at his Hobe Sound, Fla., mansion in April, another heart-stopping event in the family's history was taking place....

Read the full article with a Free Trial at MyWire.

Premium Content Partnership | MyWire provides an in-depth online archive library of reference works.