Model and television personality Karlie Kloss is starting a new venture... in media.
Kloss and her husband, investor Josh Kushner, have acquired the publishing rights to Life magazine from Dotdash Meredith, via their holding company Bedford Media.
(Kushner is the founder of venture-capital firm Thrive Capital and younger brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law and previous white house advisor to former President Donald Trump.)
“We see Life as an uplifting and unifying voice in a chaotic media landscape,” said Kloss in a statement, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. “While Bedford is a new media company, we are deeply inspired by Life’s iconic legacy and ability to connect diverse audiences with universal narratives of humanity.”
Kushner—who will act as the publication's publisher—added that the magazine's legacy "lies in its ability to blend culture, current events and everyday life, highlighting the triumphs, challenges and unique perspectives that define us."
The move comes as the media industry is facing something of a financial crisis, leading to several mainstream media and news outlet layoffs over the years. In January, 2024 alone, NBC News, The Los Angeles Times, Sports Illustrated, Time, Business Insider and Forbes all laid off a significant amount or all of its staff, as reported by Fast Company.
News startup The Messenger shut down completely in February, less than one year after the online publication first launched. More than 300 employees were reportedly left without a job.
In 2023, more than 21,400 media jobs were lost, the highest since 2009 and 2008, after the financial crisis and Great Recession (not counting 2020, when the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in massive layoffs nationwide and across all sectors).
Life first launched in 1883 and published weekly issues until previous owner Time Inc. shut it down for the first time in 1972. The magazine was then relaunched six years later, in 1978, before ultimately suspending publication in 2000.
In 2021, Meredith acquired Life magazine from Time Inc. for $2.7 billion.
Kloss and her husband's company also acquired i-D Magazine from Vice Media in 2023, according to the The Hollywood Reporter, which—along with the recent purchase of Life—suggests that the pair have their eyes set on expanding their presence in the media space.
