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Lindsey Graham (3:50)

It'S June 1939. At a train station in Solovino, a Czechoslovakian town that was recently annexed by the fascist government of Hungary, a locomotive chugs slowly to a stop, billowing smoke. Waiting on the platform with a worn out suitcase is 16 year old Jan Ho. His mother stands beside him, her entire body stiff with emotion and tears lingering at the corner of her eyes. The train car doors open and a few passengers disembark. Jan picks up his suitcase and turns to his mother, but before he can say goodbye, she grabs hold of his hand. JAN Dong. Mother, don't go. They won't take you. Jan glances about, checking that no one can hear them. Mother, we've been through this already. You're only 16, Jan. You're too young to fight. The resistance doesn't care about my age. They just want patriotic Czechs who are ready to fight the Nazis and their Hungarian stooges. And who is it that's filled your head with this nonsense? Maybe it'll be sorted out through diplomacy. Mother, you don't know. You're being naive. Everyone said there would be a war last year too. But then they signed that treaty in Munich, didn't they? It's the Munich Agreement that got us into this mess. That just proved to Hitler that he can do whatever he wants. A man like that will only ever be stopped by force. But it doesn't have to be you, Jan. Maybe. Maybe the war won't reach Sololofino. Why would they care about a town like this? Maybe they'll just leave us alone. You really think Nazis will leave Jews like us alone? You know what's going on in Germany. Mother, I should go. I have to do this. Jan's mother slumps her shoulders in resignation. I know. But remember to eat. Keep your strength up and wash behind my ears too, Mother. I can take care of myself. The train begins to move, and Yan hurriedly embraces his mother one last time before climbing aboard. Then he leans out the window and waves, his mother's voice carrying to him as the train slowly departs. Take care, Yan. We'll be here when you return. The resistance movement that Jan Hawk joined was powerless to prevent Adolf Hitler and his allies from sweeping through eastern Europe in 1939. And as the fascists tightened their grip on Czechoslovakia, Yan escaped the country. But he wasn't running away. Instead, he joined the British army and resumed his fight against the Nazis. But Jan never saw his mother again, though in May 1944, the Jewish population in Solutvino was herded onto trains and taken to Auschwitz concentration camp. There, Jan's mother, father, grandfather and three of his siblings were murdered. Jan Hoek did not survive the war either, though, because he adopted a new nationality and a new name. The Czechoslovakian Jan Hoch was dead. The British Robert Maxwell had been born.

Unknown Narrator (6:52)

From wondering. I'm Lindsey Graham and this is Business Movers.

Lindsey Graham (7:17)

Robert Maxwell was once one of the most influential men in the United Kingdom. As a billionaire media tycoon, he associated with the rich and powerful. And he went toe to toe with Rupert Murdoch for dominance of the British newspaper industry. But while Murdoch was born into wealth and privilege, Robert had to fight for it. Growing up tough among the sugar beet fields of eastern Czechoslovakia, Jan and his siblings had to share pairs of shoes, and the family lived on a simple diet of corn, potatoes and watered down milk. In the aftermath of World War II, with his family dead, Jan saw no reason to return to Czechoslovakia. Instead, he decided to stay in Britain. But he didn't want to be poor and live in the slums. Like many other refugees who'd fled the Nazis, he wanted to fully assimilate into his adopted homeland and become a gentleman. And for that, he needed a British name. Robert Maxwell wasn't the first new identity that Jan adopted. He initially went by Ivan du Maurier, after his favorite brand of cigarettes. Then he was Leslie Jones, then Leslie Smith. But he settled on Robert Maxwell because he thought it sounded distinguished and vaguely Scottish. And after he'd finally chosen a name he was happy with, Robert began an extraordinary business journey that would take him far from his humble roots in Czechoslovakia. One day, he would walk the halls of power, dominate entire industries, and build an enormous fortune. But just as Robert Maxwell was not his true name, his billions were not real either. His corporate empire was built on shaky foundations and eventually it would all come crashing down, taking Robert with it. Only then will the full truth emerge about Robert Maxwell. Behind his miraculous rags to riches story were shady dealings, corrupt corporate practices and above all, a ruthless determination to succeed. This is the first episode in our four part series on me media mogul Robert Maxwell, the bouncing Czech. It's summer, 1946 in Berlin, Germany. Seven years after Jan Hoch left home to join the Czech resistance. Now known as Robert Maxwell. The 24 year old rises from his seat and makes his way to the door of his office. He wears the uniform of a captain in the British army. After spending the war on the battlefield, Robert now has a desk job. He's part of the Allied forces occupying Berlin and it's Robert's job to root out die hard Nazis among Germany's surviving businessmen. Robert opens the door to find a well dressed man in his mid-60s waiting in the hallway. Mr. Maxwell? That's right. Ferdinand Springer. Ferdinand holds his hand out, but Robert ignores it. After spending six years fighting the Germans, Robert is wary of the businessmen he meets on a daily basis. Basis? He suspects most of them were Nazis. So instead Robert waves Ferdinand toward an uncomfortable looking wooden chair. What exactly is your business, Mr. Springer? I run Springer Verlag. I'm not familiar with the name. You've heard of Albert Einstein? We were his first publisher. The man smiles proudly, but Robert isn't impressed. That was presumably before the Nazis chased him out of the country. No. Ferdinand's face reddened slightly. That was most regrettable. Ah, regrettable. I hear that word a lot, sir. The Nazis were a terrible blight on our nation. On the world. Yes. But Springer Werlag is a scientific publishing house. In existence for over a hundred years, long before Hitler. So he has nothing to do with you then? Not. Not all Germans, is that it? Sir? My family is of Jewish descent. The Nazis tried to take the company away from us. Because of that, they murdered one of my uncles and drove another to suicide. So yes, not all Germans. Well, my apologies, Herr Springer. My family was at Auschwitz. There's a moment of silence as each man contemplates what the other has been through. So, tell me more about Springer Wehrlach. Before the war we were Germany's biggest publisher of scientific books, journals and research. And I presume you want to restart the business? I do, of course. Although at the moment it's impossible to print any new material. Because you need paper. Yes. And there isn't enough to go around. Robert reaches into a desk drawer and pulls out a form. Then he scrolls out an Order on the paper and hands it to Ferdinand. Here, this will get you what you need for your uncles. Thank you, Mr. Maxwell. Now I just need to find someone with money to buy my books. Well, I'm sure there will be universities in England that would be interested. Perhaps. But there is restriction on German businesses mean we cannot export any of our publications. We can only sell in Germany. Robert settles back in his seat, a thought occurring to him. Let me get this straight. It's not that there's a restriction on German science publications, it's just that a German business can't sell them? That's correct. So if a foreign businessman, a British businessman, let's say, were to buy your.

Unknown Narrator (12:18)

Stock, he would be able to export.

Lindsey Graham (12:20)

It on your behalf? Yes, but what are you saying? Well, I'm being demobilized by the army in a few months and I'll be wondering what to do. Robert reaches into his pocket, pulls out a card and hands it to Ferdinand. When I am, please give me a call. As the end of Robert Maxwell's service in the British army neared, he began considering his career options. The only job he'd ever had was in the military. But after his conversation with the German publisher Ferdinand Springer, he was ready to embark on the next stage of his life. Robert Maxwell was about to enter the book business. Robert Maxwell's military service came to an end in the summer of 1947. But he made good use of his final months in uniform. He learned more about Ferdinand Springer and his publishing company. Robert realized that Springer Werlach had an enormous catalog of books, journals and manuscripts that had never been distributed outside of Germany. And over the last eight years, German scientists had made some major advances. But the Nazis never allowed them to be shared with the rest of the world. Robert saw that there was a business opportunity here if he could just find a way to get the material out of Germany. But Robert's meager military salary was not enough to start an import export business. And after six years of war, Ferdinand Springer was in no position to lend Robert the money he needed. Robert tried to get a loan from British banks, but they decided that lending money to a Czech born officer based in Berlin was too risky. So with traditional forms of funding unavailable to him, Robert decided to try an unusual alternative. He tapped his military connections and asked for a referral to MI6, Britain's secret intelligence service. In a clandestine meeting, Robert suggested that they subsidize his new business venture, convincing the spymasters that there would be useful material in the German research papers. And that Springer werlaug's links to the scientific community in the Soviet Union could be exploited in the future. MI6 agreed. But they didn't just write him a check. Instead Robert was given a letter of introduction to the chairman of Hambros Bank. But Sir Charles Hambrough was not just a banker. During the war he had been a founding member of the Special Operations Executive, a secret branch of the military dedicated to espionage and sabotage behind enemy lines. Robert went to see him in London and after a cordial 20 minute chat about their wartime exploits, Sir Charles gave Robert a checkbook and a 25,000 pound line of credit. The equivalent of one and a half million dollars today. They barely even discussed Robert's business plan. Robert quickly put the money to good use. The first shipment of scientific literature from Springer Verlag arrived in England in November 1947. Four months later a second shipment came containing 300 tons worth of books and journals. It was so large that it took seven railroad cars and a convoy of trucks to transport the shipment to Robert's newly rented warehouse. Robert had his inventory, but now he needed to do something with it. He'd never run any business before, let alone a publishing house. So while he learned the ropes, Robert decided it would be best to partner with a more established business. He selected Butterworths, a British publisher of medical and legal textbooks. Robert supplied Butterworth's with his imported German material, much of which was already written in English. Butterwurst then added it to their catalogs and sold it on, giving Robert a share of the resulting profit. Soon these these German research papers that Robert had sourced were among Butterworth's best selling products. And the partnership worked so well that Robert and Butterworth soon created a subsidiary of Butterworth. In April of 1949 the 25 year old Robert was named as managing director. It was less than a decade since Robert had left home with little more than the clothes on his back. But now he was a senior executive in publishing. Still he was wasn't satisfied. He had higher ambitions than simply running the subsidiary of a larger company. And he realized that there was more money to be made in the book business. So six months after becoming managing director of Butterworth Springer, Roberts set up another company, Lange Maxfellen Springer or lms, which would serve as middleman between publishers and retailers. This company soon signed a contract to become the exclusive distributor for Butterworth Springer publications. Robert now had two complementary and intertwined companies. Butterworth Springer imported Springer Werlag scientific books and journals from Germany. LMS distributed them and Robert was the boss of both companies. This put him in a unique position and he soon came up with a plan to take total control of Butterworth Springer. It was both unethical and illegal, but this did not bother Robert. Quietly, Robert had ensured that contracts between Butterworth Springer and LMS had been drawn up on extremely favorable terms. LMS paid an artificially low price to Butterworth Springer for the books. And this allowed LMS to bank higher profits when it sold them on. In 1950, the company recorded a profit of £250,000, the equivalent of US$15 million today. And the following year revenues more than doubled. But while the one sided contracts meant that LMS was raking in cash, Butterworth Springer's profit margins were being squeezed. By November 1950, the firm was £115,000 in debt and the amount it owed was increasing every month. Conspiring to clean out one company's accounts to enrich another was against the law. Robert was cheating his business partners. But executives at Butterworth's had no idea that their joint venture was in the red because of Robert. As far as they were concerned, the business just wasn't working out. So when Robert offered to buy complete control of Butterworth Springer, Butterworth was happy to offload what they thought was a failure. Soon a deal was made. Robert would pay £13,000 to take full ownership of Butterworth Springer, with the only condition being that Robert renamed the company to prevent confusion. Robert didn't have a problem with that. He was good at adopting new names. So Pergamon Press was born. Roberts soon followed up this first ruthless takeover with another expansion of his fledgling business empire. In 1951, he bought the book wholesaler Simpkin Marshall. Back in the 1930s, the firm had recorded revenues of over a million pounds. But Simpkin Marshall had been hit hard by World War II. Its warehouse had been bombed, destroying huge amounts of stock and crippling the company. So Robert hoped to buy Simpkin Marshall on the cheap. It still had hundreds of thousands of books in its surviving stores and had a host of useful contacts in the industry. So Robert negotiated to buy the company with £50,000 upfront to cover Simpkin Marshall's existing debts and a further 110,000 pounds to be paid in installments over the next nine years. As long as Simpkin Marshall continued trading. Robert borrowed the initial £50,000 purchase price from Kurt Wallersteiner, an old German acquaintance, in exchange for a share of Simkin Marshall's future profits. But Robert had barely gotten through the door when he realized that his new acquisition was in even worse shape than he thought. Publishers were increasingly printing paperback books, but Simpkin Marshall had built a business model of hardbacks. The economics didn't make sense, so Robert quickly pivoted. Rather than rebuild Simpkin Marshall, he decided to bleed it dry. Robert asked Kurt Bollersteiner for another £100,000 in exchange for a larger share of company profits. But Robert knew that Simpkin Marshall wasn't ever going to make money again. Instead, Robert siphoned off the funds into his other business ventures, not seeing any profits materialize over two years.

Unknown Narrator (20:23)

Kurt.

Lindsey Graham (20:24)

Kurt Wallersteiner asked for his money back, But Robert had bad news for his old friend. Simpkin Marshall simply could not afford to repay him. Kurt was outraged. Robert had assured him that Simpkin Marshall was a safe investment, but now it seemed Kurt would lose almost everything he put into the firm. In an attempt to retrieve at least some of the money, Kurt obtained a legal order to liquidate Simpkin Marshall. And in June 1955, the company was declared declared bankrupt. By then, most of Kurt's money was already gone. Simk and Marshall's collapse would cost Robert his relationship with Kurt Balersteiner. But Robert didn't care. He had no emotional attachment to his old business partner. And as far as Robert was concerned, Kurt had fulfilled his purpose. He was a stepping stone that Robert needed to get where he wanted to go. Kurt was not the first business associate to be duped by Robert Maxwell, and he certainly wouldn't be the last.

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Lindsey Graham (21:41)

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Lindsey Graham (23:47)

It's summer 1952 at the University of Oxford in England. One year after Robert Maxwell bought out his business partners and founded Pergamon Press. A book launch is underway in the gardens of one of the university's ancient colleges. Under the welcome shade of a tree, Robert sips on a too warm glass of wine and eyes the crowd with an appraising look. The author of the new book is signing copies at a table and other academics mill around the lawn. Spotting an unaccompanied professor, Robert moves swiftly across the grass and holds out his hand. Oh, hello. I don't believe we've met. My name's Robert. Cyril. Pleased to meet you. Glorious weather, isn't it? It certainly makes a nice break from the office. Absolutely. I've been in my lab all day. It's like an oven in there.

Unknown Advertiser (24:31)

Oh.

Lindsey Graham (24:32)

What is your feel? Biomedical science. I'm currently working on vaccines. We hope they might eradicate polio and smallpox. What about you? Oh, I'm not an academic, I'm afraid. I'm sorry, I assumed this was your college. No, no, I'm the owner of Pergamon Press. Oh. Ah, Robert Maxwell. That's right. Robert beams, delighted to be recognized. And sensing an opening, he Leans in conspiratorially. But truth be told, I snuck in here today. Don't tell anyone. I just want to get to know our potential clients a little better. The professor raises his eyebrows, but Robert continues undeterred. So, may I ask where you publish your papers? Well, naturally, most of my work is printed by Oxford University Press. Oup. Of course. Fine company. Could I interest you, though, in using Pergamon to publish your next book or research paper? Our list is expanding and our compensation is the best in the business. That's not the deciding factor. No. What is? I don't want to offend you. Please, I have thick skin. Well, I want my work to be seen by as many eyes as possible to reach the best men in my field. And with respect, Pergamon. It's just not in the same league as oup. And is reputation really more important than royalties? I'm afraid it is, in my experience. I realize this puts you in an impossible position, Mr. Maxwell. To attract top academics, you need prestige. But to be prestigious, you need top academics. But this is the way it's always been. And I'm sorry, I don't see how you could change that. Robert Maxwell left this book launch frustrated. Instead of signing new authors, he'd been rebuffed by everyone he approached. And they'd all said the same thing. Traditional business rules just didn't seem to apply in scientific publishing. But Robert was not the sort of man to settle for the way things had always been done. A closing door wasn't a rebuke to him, it was a challenge. During the early years of his business career, Robert Maxwell had largely restricted his activities to publishing material he imported from Springer Werlag in Germany. But after taking sole control of Pergamon in 1951, Robert had bigger aspirations. Recognizing the increased demand for scientific publishing, Robert wanted to expand Pergamon's output by publishing original content from researchers and academics. But Robert struggled to displace traditional academic publishers like Oxford University Press. Few authors wanted to submit manuscripts to Pergamon, and research libraries showed little interest in stocking the company's journals. Robert soon realized that he could not compete with established academic presses in terms of prestige. So he needed Pergamon to have some other unique selling point, something existing publishers couldn't offer. He soon found it. Scientific research was a fast growing industry in Britain. Several new universities had recently been established and existing institutions had opened new departments. The college system in America had also rapidly expanded after the GI Bill funded tuition for soldiers returning from the war. And as the years passed Increasingly, specialized science faculties emerged to cover new areas of research like nuclear physics, genetics and virology. The scientists who worked in these new universities and departments wanted to share their results with the wider world. And soon demand for scientific publishing opportunities outstripped supply. But the traditional academic presses were slow to respond. They were bureaucratic institutions hampered by internal debates and scholarly committees. But Robert didn't suffer from those constraints. As Pergamon's owner, he alone dictated his company's publishing strategy and he could move quickly. So Robert decided to position Pergamon as a modernizing trailblazer. Within months, he had established journals dedicated to emerging fields in science, engineering and technologies technology. And since Pergamon publications were often the only ones in these specialties, he was able to charge a premium. It was a low risk business move for Robert. The costs involved in setting up a new journal were minimal. Authors expected no payment from their work. They were simply happy to see their papers distributed. And Robert even managed to recruit editorial boards to work for free too, as academics like serving on them to enhance their reputations and credentials. And before a single issue was printed, Robert also invited university libraries and institutions to subscribe in advance, allowing him to accurately judge the number of issues that were required. With low production costs, little risk of unsold stock and steep subscription prices, Pergamon was able to reap the rewards of an unusually high margin product. But as well as its agility in the market, Pergaman had another edge over traditional academic publishers. Most of these more established companies tended to focus only on the English speaking world. Pergaman, in contrast, had been born out of international cooperation, and Robert himself spoke nine languages. These were advantages he was quick to exploit. In 1955, Robert booked a trip to the inaugural International Conference on Atomic Energy in Geneva.

Unknown Host (29:46)

There he rented a stunning lakeside villa.

Lindsey Graham (29:49)

Where he entertained delegates, showing off Pergamon's new scientific journals and enthusiastically talking up his company's plans for expansion. The academics weren't used to such overt salesmanship. Normally they had to jump through hoops for their work to be accepted by a traditional academic publisher. But now, though, Robert was actively courting them. And it was a strategy that paid off. When Robert returned from Geneva, his address book was bulging with hundreds of potential new authors, and many went on to sign contracts with Pergamon. After his success in Geneva, Robert replicated this sales technique at other academic conferences around the world and was soon a familiar face at the events, becoming notorious for wining and dining prospective authors and throwing lavish parties for delegates. There were so many international conferences that it wasn't long before Robert became the first passenger to ever rack up a million miles of travel on British Overseas Airways. But the results of Robert's globetrotting more than made up for the cost of his airfare. There was no border that Robert was not prepared to cross in his quest to expand Pergamon. Even the Iron curtain. By the mid-1950s, the world had plunged into the Cold War and the relationship between the USSR and the Western world was strained. But the Soviet government was surprisingly open to Roberts request to meet with their nation's top scientists. Classified material was naturally kept under wraps. But the Soviets recognized that there was potential propaganda advantages to a deal with Pergamon. Publishing a selection of Soviet scientific breakthroughs outside the Eastern Bloc would be proof of Communist superiority. So the Soviets pulled out all the stops. To impress Robert, he was put up in Room 107 at the National Hotel, the same room that Vladimir Lenin slept in during the Russian Revolution. Robert was invited to speak at the Soviet Academy of Sciences and treated as a guest of honor. And when the Soviets launched Sputnik, the first satellite to orbit the Earth, Robert was given the foreign publication rights for.

Unknown Narrator (31:49)

A raft of Soviet space research papers.

Lindsey Graham (31:52)

It was all a major boost to Pergamon's bottom line. And not just because of the money Robert received from Moscow. The American State Department was so desperate to get their hands on information about the Soviets that they paid Robert millions of dollars more to access and translate Pergamon's research papers. But Robert's dealings with the Soviet Union did cost him one his reputation. Rumors began to circulate that Robert's unusually warm reception in Moscow was because he was in the pay of the kgb. This stain on Robert's character would follow him for the rest of his life, even though reality was quite the opposite. Robert was engaged in espionage when he was spying against the ussr, not for it. During one of his trips to Moscow, Robert got his hands on confidential documents revealing a list of East German factories that were going to be dismantled and rebuilt in the ussr. Robert swiped this secret list, returned to his hotel room and photographed it using a colleague's camera. He quickly returned the documents where he found them and then spent the rest of his trip hoping that his Soviet handlers wouldn't confiscate the camera if they.

Unknown Host (33:00)

Found out what it contained.

Lindsey Graham (33:01)

Robert would likely be arrested for spying. But the Soviets didn't suspect a thing. And when he returned to Britain, Robert delivered this top secret information to his grateful friends at MI6. All of Robert's foreign Travels had made Pergamon Press into a major player in international scientific publishing. And by 1958 it was big enough even to survive the loss of its first major supplier. Post war export restrictions on German businesses were finally lifted and there was no longer any need for the Berlin based Springer Werlach to use Robert as a foreign distributor. They decided to take the job of publishing their international titles in house. And at one stage, this would have been a disaster for Pergamon. But Robert was no longer dependent on just one foreign partner. Thanks to his decision to seek out new markets, Pergamon now published more than 100 books a year and had another 100 different journals and was still growing. Within six years, Pergamon would go public. Robert's stake in the company would be valued at 10 million pounds, the equivalent of more than $300 million today. In less than two decades, Robert Maxwell had transformed himself from a penniless refugee into the millionaire pioneer of modern scientific publishing. But as far as Robert was concerned, he'd barely begun his climb.

Unknown Host (34:21)

His sights were still set higher.

Lindsey Graham (34:23)

Robert didn't want to just dominate the business world. He wanted to become Prime Minister.

Unknown Advertiser (34:34)

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Lindsey Graham (36:21)

1964 at the Town hall in Buckingham, England, three months after Pergamon Press went public. On stage for a pre election debate, Labour Party candidate Robert Maxwell shifts uncomfortably and wipes away a bead of sweat. Thankfully, most of the audience packed into this warm room are oblivious to his discomfort. Their eyes are all on the woman standing next to him. Elaine Kellett is the condition Conservative Party candidate and Robert's main rival for the Buckingham seat in the forthcoming British general election. We simply cannot take the risk of electing a Labor socialist government under their plans. They'll spend money we simply do not have. And who will really pay for it? You good people of Buckinghamshire? Hundreds of jobs will be at risk. Robert rises to his feet. I've heard enough. You're scaremongering. Elaine turns around, startled by Robert's interruption. Do you deny that the Labour Party will spend hundreds of millions of pounds on our roads and rail? I cannot believe that the British people are content to watch their once great nation slide into obscurity. A few members of the audience applaud Robert's statement and it gives him the confidence to continue. Nowhere is investment more urgently needed than in our transport system. We have to invest money to get a return. I should know. I invested money wisely in my business interests and it paid off. Well that's an easy argument to make when there's money in the bank. But we aren't all millionaires like you, Mr. Maxwell. You claim to represent the ordinary people of Buckingham but you're not really one of the people, are you? Please, anyone who's seen me driving around in my old Land Rover knows I'm as ordinary a working man as they are an ordinary working man. We know you have a chauffeur driven Rolls Royce drop you off on the outskirts of town. That's preposterous. But Robert's face goes red because Elaine is rind. Let's not beat around the bush Mr. Maxwell. You do not represent the people of Buckingham. You're not even English. A few people in the audience shout their agreement and Robert's face turns an even deeper shade of red. Because if there's one thing he hates, it's people pointing out he doesn't belong. Well if I am a foreigner, then so is the Duke of Edinburgh. He was born abroad and from what I can tell, he's quite popular in this country. Madam, when Hitler's armies threatened our shores, I fought to protect them. Because though I was not fortunate enough to be born here, I chose Britain. Now I just want the opportunity to serve the country I love one more time. When the general election took place a few days later, Robert Maxwell won his seat by a narrow margin, becoming the new Member of Parliament for Buckingham. Robert's success was not just a personal victory. It was also a crucial one in the national picture. The Labour Party won an overall majority in parliament of just four seats, but it was enough to end 13 years of Conservative government. So as he journeyed to Westminster for the first time, Robert was determined to be an asset to the incoming Prime Minister, Harold Wilson. But he also had no intention intention of remaining on the sidelines for long. Because Robert had his eye on Wilson's job, Robert Maxwell threw himself into his new career in politics. He took an interest in every aspect of government and by the end of his first year in office, he delivered more than 200 speeches in Parliament. Robert viewed that statistic with pride, but few of his colleagues did. His long winded monologues blocked others from addressing the House. And even when they did get a chance to speak, Robert often leapt to his feet to interrupt. But despite being a novice in the political arena, Robert yearned for more power and influence. He wanted to be appointed a minister, ideally in one of the powerful departments like the Foreign Office or the Home Office. But Prime Minister Harold Wilson found Robert just as exasperating as everyone else. In private, Wilson mocked him as the Bouncing Czech and he had no intention intention of making him a minister. So rather than be appointed to one of the great offices of State, Robert was given the minor position of chair of the Catering Committee. It was Robert's job to reduce costs in Parliament's notoriously profligate bars and restaurants. But Robert saw it as a chance to prove himself and he decided that he turned the department's 33,000 pound deficit into a 20,000 pound profit. Robert attacked his new role with gusto. He cut costs by laying off staff and reducing the number of items on menus. He banned tablecloths as an unnecessary expense. He even went so far as replacing the milk jugs on tables with packets of powdered milk, a move that many traditionalists viewed with horror. But one year after taking charge, Robert proudly announced that he'd hit his publicly declared target. Defying all expectations, the refreshments department had made a 20,000 pound profit. Robert reveled in the grudging congratulations of his colleagues, who'd previously given him no chance of success. But Robert's good mood didn't last long. In February 1968, the Sunday Times newspaper published an article suggesting that Robert had been cooking the books. Journalists had dug into the accounts of the catering committee and realized that Robert had failed to include several major items of expenditure. When those were added to the balance sheet, the declared 20,000 pound profit was transformed into a 3,400 pound loss. And despite the substantial savings that Robert did achieve, this newspaper story transformed his moment of glory into one of humiliation. The report implied that Robert had deliberately misled Parliament, a serious offense, and Robert threatened to sue the Sunday Times, but soon realized that would be an expensive and drawn out process. Instead, Robert asked Parliament to summon the Sunday Times editor to explain himself. Robert expected the journalists to get a stern reprimand for insulting Robert's character, but instead, Robert's peers sat on the fence. They judged that the newspaper's article had not proven any misconduct on Robert's part, but they didn't unambiguously clear Robert of wrongdoing either. It was a demeaning outcome. After years of snide looks and whispered remarks, it finally dawned on Robert that his parliamentary colleagues did not have his back. In Robert's eyes, they'd rather cozy up to journalists than make a stand against disrespectful and intrusive reporting. But this chastening experience had taught Robert a valuable lesson. Real power in Britain did not lie with the politicians in Westminster. It was held by the journalists and men who controlled them, the newspaper owners. Following this realization, Robert Maxwell would soon give up on his ambition to become Prime Minister in favor of a new goal. Robert no longer wanted to make headlines. He wanted to publish them. From Wonder E this is episode one of the Missing Mogul for Business Movers. On the next episode, Robert Maxwell is repeatedly frustrated in his attempts to break into the newspaper industry by an equally ruthless rival, Rupert Murdoch. If you'd like to learn more about Robert Maxwell, we recommend the Mystery of Robert Maxwell by John Preston Maxwell, the Outsider by Tom Bower, and Maxwell's Fall by Roy Greenslade. This episode contains reenactments and drama details. And while in most cases we can't know exactly what was said, all our dramatizations are based on historical research. Business Movers is hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham for Airship. Audio editing by Mohammad Shazi Sound design by Gabriel Gould Music by Lindsey Graham this episode is written and researched by Scott Reeves. Executive producers are William Simpson for airship and Aaron O'Flaherty, Jenny Lauer Beckman and Marshall Lewis. For wondering.

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