RICHARD Robinson was the CEO of Scholastic Corp. until his death in 2021.
A surprising succession plan from Robinson was left behind and revealed.
Who was Scholastic CEO Richard Robinson?
Maurice Richard Robinson Jr. was born on May 15, 1937, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
He died on June 5, 2021 at age 84 while on vacation at Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, which was said to be from a stroke or a heart attack.
Starting in 1975, Robinson was the chief executive officer of Scholastic Corporation, a publication that produces educational materials for schools, parents and children.
The company was founded by his father, Maurice Robinson.
Robinson was credited for making books such as Harry Potter and Captain Underpants suitable for younger readers.
Is Richard Robinson married?
Robinson was married to Helen V. Benham, who founded the Early Childhood Division at Scholastic, from 1986 until 2003.
They had two children, John Benham Robinson and Maurice Richard Adams Robinson.
What happened to Scholastic after Richard Robinson died?
When Robinson died in June 2021, he left behind a succession plan.
Robinson did not give the publisher worth $1.2billion to either of his sons, siblings, or ex-wife, instead the control went to Iole Lucchese, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Lucchese, the company’s chief strategy officer, also inherited all his personal belongings.
The Wall Street Journal reviewed a copy of the 2018 will, in which Robinson described Lucchese as “my partner and closest friend.”
According to family members and former Scholastic employees, the two had been romantic partners for years and had rekindled a friendship during the pandemic.
Maurice Robinson said his father’s decision was “unexpected and shocking” while John Robinson wrote in an email that his father’s plan “serves as salt in an open wound.”
Robinson’s intentions are unclear to even the people close to him and Lucchese declined to comment during a board meeting in July 2021.
Peter Warwick is the company’s CEO.
Source: Read Full Article
