Remembering Mikhail Gorbachev

The Soviet Union was dissolved at the end of 1991. The following year Mikhail Gorbachev, now out of power, wanted to come to the U.S. with a small group of Russians, and we at Forbes were asked if we might help with travel.

We said, “Yes!” Gorbachev could use our corporate plane, a 727, to go around the U.S., free of charge. The only thing we asked in return was that he be part of Forbes’s 75th anniversary celebration at Radio City Music Hall. The other guest of honor would be former President Ronald Reagan. Gorbachev agreed.

It seemed fitting to honor these two extraordinary men. Both had made possible a nonviolent end to the Cold War, which experts at the time thought was absolutely impossible, given the previously violent nature of the U.S.S.R.

My grandfather, B.C. Forbes, founded Forbes during the same year as the Russian Revolution, and he would have been delighted that his creation had outlived Lenin’s.

The evening of the 75th anniversary celebration came. It was to consist of remarks by our extraordinarily special guests, followed by a documentary that we had made about the struggles of democracy in the 20th century.

The main event almost didn’t happen. Gorbachev had previously agreed to a brief interview for the magazine before we went onstage. Then he decided he hadn’t agreed to it and angrily threatened to walk out. Reagan was appalled. So were Gorbachev’s aides. But his wife, Raisa, egged him on. All of us faced the nightmare of a fantastic event crashing into ruins.

We summoned every ounce of diplomacy. Minutes ticked by. Eventually the last leader of the Soviet Union calmed down, and the show went on. Reagan gave a superb speech laced with lots of his special humor. Then it was Gorbachev’s turn.

He began, “Steve Forbes has already been able to exploit me, to use me during this evening. Before the festivities he asked me to give an interview to his magazine.”

The audience laughed, thinking he, like Reagan, was engaging in humor. He wasn’t; he was serious.

I was privileged to see Gorbachev a year later with a small group. It was absolutely fascinating to see his dazzling mind in action. He recognized me, but the incident never came up.