Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Does Doug Manchester's Spousal Split-Up Provide Clues to Intentions for the Union-Tribune?

Doug Manchester has been in the news as of late, and considering he just purchased the city's sole daily newspaper, chances are he will be in the news for some time.

"Papa Doug" is said to have purchased the Union-Tribune for around $110 million. That's a big purchase considering that just three years ago, while in the midst of a messy separation with his wife of 43 years, Manchester testified that he had no "positive income" and was losing millions of dollars a month, and had even asked the court if he could make tax-free payments to his wife.

The testimony raises questions about the hotel mogul's purchase of the Union-Tribune and his intentions for the future of the paper.

During the court proceedings, Manchester testified that in 2008 he was losing $5.2 million a month for a total loss of $63 million. His companies weren't doing much better. In his deposition, Manchester said his hotels were "under water" financially, losing more than $190 million, $28 million in actual cash losses, in 2008.

Because of the rocky financial landscape, Manchester testified that he was forced to sell his four vacation homes, and his company was forced to sell the private jet that he had partial ownership of.

But lawyers for Elizabeth Manchester said things weren't all that bad for Papa Doug. They disputed the figures, saying that Manchester's financial entities generated over $210 million in revenues during 2008. According to court documents, in 2007 he shelled out $550,000 for his 65th birthday bash. The following year his daughter's wedding cost him "between $500,000 to $1 million". And then there's the $125,000 he spent on Proposition 8.

In July 2009, Manchester reported his personal cash worth was just under $57 million.

The court documents from Papa Doug's separation paints a different financial picture than just a person willing to jump in the newspaper business for the fun of it.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

SD Symphony singer tells what it’s like behind the scenes

Conductor Payare even looks like Mahler
Next Article

Colorado governor Polis’ days in La Jolla canyons

Why Kamala might not run for Calif. governor

Doug Manchester has been in the news as of late, and considering he just purchased the city's sole daily newspaper, chances are he will be in the news for some time.

"Papa Doug" is said to have purchased the Union-Tribune for around $110 million. That's a big purchase considering that just three years ago, while in the midst of a messy separation with his wife of 43 years, Manchester testified that he had no "positive income" and was losing millions of dollars a month, and had even asked the court if he could make tax-free payments to his wife.

The testimony raises questions about the hotel mogul's purchase of the Union-Tribune and his intentions for the future of the paper.

During the court proceedings, Manchester testified that in 2008 he was losing $5.2 million a month for a total loss of $63 million. His companies weren't doing much better. In his deposition, Manchester said his hotels were "under water" financially, losing more than $190 million, $28 million in actual cash losses, in 2008.

Because of the rocky financial landscape, Manchester testified that he was forced to sell his four vacation homes, and his company was forced to sell the private jet that he had partial ownership of.

But lawyers for Elizabeth Manchester said things weren't all that bad for Papa Doug. They disputed the figures, saying that Manchester's financial entities generated over $210 million in revenues during 2008. According to court documents, in 2007 he shelled out $550,000 for his 65th birthday bash. The following year his daughter's wedding cost him "between $500,000 to $1 million". And then there's the $125,000 he spent on Proposition 8.

In July 2009, Manchester reported his personal cash worth was just under $57 million.

The court documents from Papa Doug's separation paints a different financial picture than just a person willing to jump in the newspaper business for the fun of it.

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Papa Doug selling Rhode Island mansion

Manchester and wife reportedly expecting a baby
Next Article

Will Koch brothers help Papa Doug buy LA Times or parent Tribune Co.?

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader