November 17, 2003

PUBLISHER OF MAXIM SAYS HIS MAGAZINE MADE EDITORS OF OTHER MEN'S PUBLICATIONS, INCLUDING ESQUIRE AND GQ, LOOK LIKE IDIOTS -- WEDNESDAY ON "60 MINUTES II," ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

Felix Dennis Reveals Plans to Sell His Empire and Build a Forest, Which He Will Call The Forest of Dennis

Some consider Felix Dennis, the publisher of racy men's magazines like Maxim, to be the 21st century version of Hugh Hefner. His competitors, however, think of him simply as "Dennis the Menace." That's because his magazines are quickly turning the rarified world of publishing upside-down. Dennis is forcing his rivals - GQ, Esquire and others -- to become younger, hipper and sexier. Correspondent Bob Simon's interview with Dennis, in which the publisher reveals his plan to sell his empire to build the largest forest in England, will be broadcast on 60 MINUTES II Wednesday, Nov. 19 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

You must credit the following excerpts from Simon's interview with Dennis to 60 MINUTES II:

Maxim has almost doubled the advertising revenue and tripled the circulation of established men's magazines like Esquire and GQ, but when Maxim first appeared, the editors of those magazines accused Dennis of encouraging readers to behave like cavemen.

Simon: The former and later editor of GQ said, 'Maxim readers are men who not only move their lips but drool when they read.'" Dennis: "The facts of the matter are that we had absolutely trashed his circulation. He just couldn't stand it." Simon: "So it was periodical envy?"
Dennis: "It was called sour grapes and I-- I did actually come back with quite a zinger for him, you know, after he'd said that and I said, 'Yeah, GQ readers are for men who like socks more than sex.'" Simon: "The editor of Esquire said this about Maxim, another direct quote, 'There's a good side to Maxim, they're enticing people to read magazines. On the negative side it encourages magazines to get stupider.'" Dennis: "That's pretty rich coming from a guy who had driven his magazine virtually to the brink of extinction. Look, Maxim came out of nowhere, it just made all of the editors of American lifestyle magazines for men look like idiots."

Maxim has made Dennis one of the 50-richest men in England. Dennis likes to spend his money: he takes care of friends, drinks fine wines and he built an eight-million-dollar leisure center on his estate.

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Simon: "What do you think you're worth?" Dennis: "No idea -- truly, I do not know. Couldn't be less than, say, $200 or $300 million. Couldn't be more than, say, six or seven hundred [million]. I don't keep my money for myself and I don't just mean charity giving. I mean, your buddies, your relatives, your friends." Simon: "You take care of them?"
Dennis: "All of them. I hose it away on a never-ending basis and I take enormous pleasure in doing it."

Dennis is a man of gargantuan appetites and he is looking forward to the most grandiose project of his life: He took Simon on a stroll through a field in the English countryside, where he has already planted tens of thousands of saplings. The saplings will grow into what he is calling the Forest of Dennis.

Simon: "How big will the forest be, according to your vision?" Dennis: "...I don't think I'll manage to get more than 20,000 acres done, but in my mind, I'd like to do 50." Simon: "What is 50,000 acres? Give me an idea, I have no idea." Dennis: "It's the biggest forest in England." Simon: "So you sell Dennis Publishing to build the Forest of Dennis?" Dennis: "That's the plan."
Simon: "Now, is this a way of giving back some of the riches that you've acquired? Or is this a massive ego trip?" Dennis: "Let's say it's a little of both." Simon: "...To me, though, there's even a smidgeon of humor in the phrase, "Forest of Dennis." Do you see it?" Dennis: "...I see it all right, but that's what I'm gonna call it, whether they like it or they don't."

Jeff Fager is the executive producer of 60 MINUTES II. Neeraj Khemlani is the producer of this report.

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Press Contact: Kelli Edwards 212/975-6795 kee@cbsnews.com