Howard Rubenstein, PR s dean of damage control, dies at 88
Patrick Oster, Bloomberg
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His death was announced by his son Steven, the president of Rubenstein Associates Inc.
Once called New York s No. 1 public relations man by the New York Times, Rubenstein used his personal connections among politicians, real estate moguls, media owners and entertainment stars to promote the best interests of his clients. In 1999, when his firm celebrated its 45th anniversary, it had about 500 accounts that generated $30 million a year, according to a Times story at the time.
His client list for decades was populated mostly by famous people who had paid him to make them look good. They included personalities such as Donald Trump, who once fired Rubenstein over his handling of news coverage of Trump s messy divorce from his first wife, Ivana before later hiring him back. He also represented George Steinbrenner, the owner of the New York Yankees.
Howard Rubenstein, Public Relations Legend, Dies at 88
The New York public relations wizard worked for Columbia University, the Yankees, the Metropolitan Opera and even Donald TrumpLindsey Ellefson | December 30, 2020 @ 6:10 AM Last Updated: December 30, 2020 @ 12:08 PM
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Public relations heavyweight Howard Rubenstein died Tuesday at the age of 88. His cause of death was not immediately known.
The publicity manager worked for the likes of Donald Trump, George Steinbrenner and the Yankees, Columbia University and the Metropolitan Opera.
He founded Rubenstein Associates in 1954, leading it as chairman for the rest of his life. He was also on the board of directors of the Partnership for New York City and the executive committees of the Real Estate Board of New York, NYC & Co., and the Association for a Better New York.