And he provides only the sketchiest biographical details of how, from a middle-class upbringing in Queens, he came to create and rule over a multimillion-dollar multimedia empire.

With international multimedia empires and conglomerates, motives were more complicated.

He then tried and failed to expand his theatrical success into a multimedia empire that would include actual theme parks, animated movies, restaurants, toys and games.

Stern built a multimedia empire that incorporated television, books and feature films, which led to him bestowing upon himself the title of "King of All Media."

"Yeah," Stri said, "but I got news you can't cover in any part of your multimedia empire."

Wall Street admires the nation's largest radio broadcasting conglomerate, Clear Channel Communications, as a fast-growing, profitable multimedia empire.

Today, Rodale is a multimedia empire, with books on well-being accounting for about half of its annual $600 million revenue.

The site is part of aMedia's long-term strategy to develop a multimedia empire that would also include production and distribution of online video, film and music.

Springer's West German-based multimedia empire, which has annual revenues of $1.6 billion, is involved in newspapers, magazines, book publishing, radio and television.

Mr. Lauren will build the multimedia empire he has long coveted for a relatively small sum.