Benjamin Wallace (writer)

Benjamin Wallace is an American author and magazine writer known for his 2008 book The Billionaire's Vinegar.

Benjamin Wallace
Born1968 or 1969 (age 54–55)[1]
EducationGeorgetown University
Occupation(s)Author, magazine writer
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2008; div. 2022)​
Websitebenjaminwallace.net

Early life

Benjamin Wallace grew up in Washington, D.C., and was the son of Daphne Wallace and Don Wallace Jr.[1][2] His father was a professor emeritus of international law at Georgetown University.[1] Wallace knew by the eighth grade that he wanted to be a writer and majored in English with a minor in philosophy at Georgetown University.[2]

Career

Wallace is a contributing editor for Vanity Fair.[3] He has written for New York magazine.[4] Wallace often writes about technology and was one of the first journalists to cover Bitcoin in a mainstream publication.[5]

Earlier in his career, after briefly teaching and writing in the Czech Republic and Hungary, he moved to New York and spent two years working for a financial newsletter.[2] Wallace then worked for Philadelphia Magazine in which he spent his last three years at the magazine as its executive editor.[2]

The Billionaire's Vinegar
See also: Hardy Rodenstock § Book on the controversy, and Michael Broadbent § Controversy
External video
video icon Wallace's TED talk on the price of happiness in which he discusses Rodenstock's alleged wine bottles

In 2008, Wallace published The Billionaire's Vinegar, subtitled The Mystery of the World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Wine,[6] a book about Hardy Rodenstock's alleged Thomas Jefferson wine bottles.[7] It debuted at #10 on the New York Times bestseller list.[8] Upon publication, The Economist described it as “a great tale, well told,” and The New York Times called it “one of the rare books on wine that transcends the genre.”[9] [10]

In 2009, Michael Broadbent who auctioned some of Rodenstock's bottles, sued Random House, the publisher of The Billionaire's Vinegar for libel, claiming the book made allegations that he had behaved unprofessionally.[11] In the settlement, Random House apologized for the allegations and issued a statement in court accepting that they were not true.[12] Random House also paid an undisclosed amount of damages to Broadbent and agreed not to distribute the book in the United Kingdom.[12] Wallace said, "I have never felt that Mr. Broadbent acted in bad faith, and contrary to his claims, I maintain that The Billionaire's Vinegar does not suggest that he did."[12]

Todd Black, James Lassiter, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch and Will Smith bought the rights to Wallace's book before it was published in 2008.[13] In 2012, it was reported that they were developing a movie about the book starring Brad Pitt.[11] It has since been reported that the movie will star Matthew McConaughey.[14] The film will be distributed by Sony Pictures and the script will be written by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas.[15]

Personal life

On April 26, 2008, he married Jessica Pressler, an editor at New York magazine at the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America.[1] Sean E. Mullen, an Episcopal priest, officiated the wedding and Gerard Sloyan, a Roman Catholic priest participated in the ceremony.[1] They later divorced.[16]

References
  1. "Jessica Pressler, Benjamin Wallace". The New York Times. April 27, 2008. Archived from the original on March 12, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  2. Brady, Shaun (May 27, 2008). "Ex-Philadelphia magazine editor Benjamin Wallace writes saga of famed bottle of vino in new book". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  3. "November 2018 Masthead". Vanity Fair. October 12, 2018.
  4. "Benjamin Wallace Author Archive".
  5. Wallace, Benjamin (November 23, 2011). "The Rise and Fall of Bitcoin". Wired. Vol. 19, no. 12. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023.
  6. Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (March 27, 2015). "Matthew McConaughey to lead wine fraud drama The Billionaire's Vinegar". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  7. "The Billionaire's Vinegar". 6abc. September 18, 2008. Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  8. "Hardcover Non-fiction Bestsellers". The New York Times. July 20, 2008.
  9. "A mystery uncorked". The Economist. May 8, 2008. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008.
  10. Eric Asimov (May 22, 2008). "Curling up with a good wine book". New York Times.
  11. Lechmere, Adam (May 8, 2012). "Brad Pitt to star in The Billionaire's Vinegar". Decanter. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  12. Asimov, Eric (October 14, 2009). "'Billionaire's Vinegar' Lawsuit Is Settled". The New York Times: The Pour. Archived from the original on October 19, 2009. Retrieved October 28, 2009.
  13. McNary, David (March 26, 2015). "Matthew McConaughey to Star in 'Billionaire's Vinegar'". Variety. Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  14. Foutch, Haleigh (March 26, 2015). "Matthew McConaughey Joins THE BILLIONAIRE'S VINEGAR for Sony Pictures". Collider. Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  15. Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 26, 2015). "Matthew McConaughey Has Taste For 'Billionaire's Vinegar'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  16. Hurtado, Alexandra (March 5, 2022). "Who Is the Real-Life Journalist from Inventing Anna?". Parade. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
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