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Irwin Jacobs, Feared 1980s Corporate Raider, Dies in Apparent Murder-Suicide
- RickJWagner 8y agoI used to love to bowl. (10 pins.) I wanted to be a professional bowler in my youth. I remember reading about Irwin Jacobs when he bought AMF, the giant bowling manufacturer. The Bowler's Journal (the leading bowling industry publicaiton at the time) ran a cover story on Jacobs, complete with a tuxedo and high-rise office. Jacobs assured us that he was in bowling for the long term, bringing more resources to AMF so it could raise the sport to new heights. Of course he broke up AMF shortly after, extracting profits from the pieces and pretty much ruining everything good about the company. I didn't think well of him.
- xref 8y agoAMF is mentioned in the article, guess they had more businesses than bowling (like yacht construction). Still it was amusing reading the article thinking they were just swimming in bowling profits: “In 1985, he acquired the conglomerate AMF Inc. and denounced the management for what he considered lavish spending on limousines, corporate jets and plush office space in White Plains, N.Y. “Their appetite at corporate was more befitting of General Motors,” he told the Times.” bill-murray-kingpin.gif