Under the terms of the deal, the Kochs would become passive investors in the new company through preferred equity they will receive. Iowa-based Meredith has taken pains to note that the conservative-leaning Kochs would have no say over any editorial matters. According to data from the Association of Magazine Media, People, which has long been Time's cash cow, has seen a 1.7 percent drop off in engagement across social media, digital and print so far this year. Even so, the Koch's could have rented magazine subscriber lists at a fraction of the cost they paid to invest in deal. Whether the Koch Brothers will get an expensive education in a sector they know little about remains to be seen.

Source: Forbes November 27, 2017 19:34 UTC