"In 2017, Thompson eulogized his father-a political science professor, member of the Ford and Reagan administrations and the first openly gay presidential appointment-as having "lived a life that could fill a dozen novels, or perhaps a Shakespearean drama." He told Fortune his father's fate was a valuable lesson, going from a man with "sort of infinite prospects," once thought of as potential presidential candidate, to someone "whose life is complete disarray.""
"This gives him perspective, Thompson said. "I never, even though The Atlantic's doing great, I never am too confident that it's gonna stay that way," he said. He added he's learned to like all the pain that running brings him. "I've been running most of my life. I started when I was 5 or 6," Thompson said in a recent Zoom call."
Nicholas Thompson serves as CEO of The Atlantic and presided over a return to profitability after several years of false starts, strengthening the magazine’s financial footing and profile. He previously built NewYorker.com and led Wired as editor-in-chief before moving to the business side. Thompson is a lifelong competitive runner who set an American masters record and wrote The Running Ground, which emphasizes running and his relationship with his father, W. Scott Thompson. His father served in the Ford and Reagan administrations and later experienced a dramatic personal decline, a lesson that shapes Thompson’s perspective and humility.
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