AFR’s Pierpont business column comes to an end after 45 years
Australia’s longest running business column has come to an end with Trevor Sykes leaving the Australian Financial Review after nearly 45 years writing the Pierpont column.
Sykes, who wrote about the rogues of Australian business through the persona of Bollinger-drinking business grandee Pierpont, published his final column for the AFR this weekend.
The Croesus Club is closed… The Weekend AFR’s sendoff for Pierpont
Sykes created Pierpont for the newspaper in 1972 while he was the newspaper’s investment editor. However, after five years he sparked a Supreme Court copyright battle with Fairfax after taking the column over to Kerry Packer’s The Bulletin. He won the battle over ownership of the character he created but returned to the AFR in 1995, where the Pierpont column has lived ever since. After Sykes retired from full time journalism just over a decade ago, Pierpont became a monthly column.
Trevor’s book on Australian business collapses in the 80s, The Bold Riders, is the benchmark when it comes to Australian business writing. For students of corporate Australia, you’ll find that history keeps repeating. Enjoy your retire Mr Pierpont!
Well done, Sir Pierpont,
Enjoy your retirement and thanks for keeping the bastards honest over almost five decades.
Sadly, another segment of good, solid journalism disappearing from our press.
> During the briefing, [Dan] leans back and yawns as his t-shirt rides up exposing his belly to the young women.
So … this guy is using the same body language he’d probably use when a guy colleague is around … and is getting in trouble for not treating women … as equals?
Wow.
I illustrated Pierpont for approximately 4 years for Australian Business and the Bulletin magazine..it was in the notorious years of “the Bonds” and “the Skase s” having been the first to depict all the board members..I still have many of my original pieces and have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my creations..Pip Pip Pierpont !