(As a disclaimer – there are legal rules now at Sun Valley stating that anyone who attends may NOT publish or share pictures of anyone else at the events or relay conversations that happened at the conference. So unlike years past, when Herb Allen didn’t care, some fuckwad lawyer got to him and now we have to be more careful. I could share pictures without people and conversations that may or may not have happened.)
DAY 2 – THE KID’S TABLE
‘Embarrassment’ is the most appropriate word for today.
‘Total Embarrassment’ are the two words most appropriate for today.
‘Total FUCKING Embarrassment’ would be the three most appropriate words for today.
Where to start?
Mary Poppins in the ‘Sound of Music’ would say the beginning is very good place to start. Fuck that. I’d rather start at the end and forget the beginning.
Old media Hollywood moguls (and one King) were completely humiliated today.
We were looked down upon and judged based on our market cap and old media business models.
Anyone running what is considered an ‘Old Media’ company (Manka Bros., Warner Bros. Discovery, Universal, Fox, Paramount and, yes, even Disney!) were treated as second-class citizens throughout the day.
From the very first bullshit presentation on (blank – not allowed to disclose) – to bullshit presentation on (blank), we were either seated in the back and they started without us. Such disrespect.
It’s almost as the cruelty was the point. I half expected ICE to show up and ship us immediately to Alligator Alcatraz.
Only Ted Sarandos was allowed to hang with the tech bros (and Sheryl Sandberg). Why? #marketcap The tech crowd feels that Netflix is a ‘new company’ – but they’re almost 30 years old (oh, look out you rock and rollers…)
By late morning, many of us (David Zaslav, Bob Iger, Brian Roberts, David Ellison, Lachlan Murdoch and me) were relegated to the Sun Valley Lodge Business Center with a Mr. Coffee machine which no one knew how to use and a basket of breads which were uneaten from a past weekend wedding. We watched the remaining presentations on laptops with shitty Sun Valley Lodge wifi.
We couldn’t believe we were sent to a spillover room. WE ARE THE ONES WHO SEND PEOPLE (B-LEVEL CELEBRITIES AND A-LEVEL STARS WHO CAN’T OPEN A MOVIE ANYMORE) TO SPILLOVER ROOMS! We were running the world when the tech bros were in diapers.
These bastards obviously haven’t seen the latest chart showing the world’s largest media companies. I mean, if I was WBD, Paramount or Fox, I would sort of understandc – but the rest of us – especially Manka Bros.? F you, Herb!
We were given two activities as options to fill our afternoon: Cornhole, or helping to water the grass and plants. We all chose cornhole and played on patch of burned out scrub that was called ‘Sun Valley Lodge-adjacent.’
Herb Allen’s Mogul Camp used to be so much fun and adventurous and, dare I say, intellectual – for instance 2019 (Day 3 Link here and at the bottom): ‘DELIVERANCE’ – DAY 3 – 2019 HERB ALLEN SUN VALLEY CONFERENCE – in which Jeff Bezos’ new wife Lauren Sanchez saved everyone by helicopter after a terrible kayak trip.
Now… we play cornhole.
These days, I just want to take a nap.
But I couldn’t because we had to go to dinner at THE GREAT HALL OF MOGULS – the amazing gathering place of all the world’s best people. Great things have been accomplished in that room and, normally, it’s an incredible honor to step inside those walls.
But tonight, it was the greatest humiliation of my life – as well as for everyone else who was seated with me.
WE WERE AT A FUCKING KID’S TABLE while other billionaires with trillion dollar market caps were seated at a table called ‘VALHALLA.’
Those at the Kid’s Table included me, Bob Iger, Brian Roberts, Lachlan Murdoch, David Zaslav and, for some reason King Abdullah of Jordan)
All conversations that I had initially put down here were stricken from this post. All I will say (and am allowed to say) is that King Abdullah is kind of a jerk (and I helped him buy a horse years ago) and that Warner Bros. Discovery (at least the good half) will be acquired in the next 12 months. There isn’t much more to say other than… [REDACTED].
And, even though my heart is filled with enormous hate for many of these people, the Salisbury Steak was very good.
Tomorrow, I hope, the world will be a better place that it was today.
Good night.
Khan Manka, Jr. – Chairman & CEO – Manka Bros. Studios – The World’s Largest Media Company
Herb Allen’s Sun Valley Conference – 2025 – Day 1 – As If We Never Said Goodbye
Herb Allen’s Sun Valley Conference – 2025 – Day 2 – The Kid’s Table
2024 – Did Not Attend – Was In Jail
2023 – Did Not Attend – Was In Jail
Herb Allen’s Sun Valley Conference – 2022 – Day 1 – The New Guard… Not!
Herb Allen’s Sun Valley Conference – 2022 – Day 2 – Shit Storm
Herb Allen’s Sun Valley Conference – 2021
Herb Allen’s Sun Valley Conference – 2019
Herb Allen’s Sun Valley Conference – 2018
Herb Allen’s Sun Valley Conference – 2017
Herb Allen’s Sun Valley Conference – 2016
Herb Allen’s Sun Valley Conference – 2015
Herb Allen’s Sun Valley Conference – 2014
Herb Allen’s Sun Valley Conference – 2013
Herb Allen’s Sun Valley Conference – 2012
Herb Allen’s Sun Valley Conference – 2011
Herb Allen’s Sun Valley Conference – 2010
