Ira Ellenthal, a veteran publishing executive, sales expert, and author, died peacefully at his home in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, on July 29, 2025, at the age of 88.
In a distinguished career spanning decades in media and advertising, Ellenthal held several high-profile leadership roles in the newspaper and magazine industries. He will be remembered for his imaginative and inspired approach to sales and for his unique sense of humor.
Born in 1937 in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens, New York, Ellenthal was raised in a working-class family. His father, “Slootie,” worked nearly four decades in the delivery department of the New York Daily News, the paper Ellenthal would later help lead. A devoted baseball fan from an early age, Ellenthal attended New York University, serving as assistant sports editor of the student newspaper.
Ellenthal moved from journalism to the business side of publishing after discovering his talent for sales. He served as editor and publisher for more than a dozen trade publications across a variety of industries before moving into consumer publishing. In the early 1990s, he became president and associate publisher of the New York Daily News, where he introduced creative advertising and promotional campaigns that boosted revenue during the paper’s transition period.
In 1998, Ellenthal was appointed CEO and group publisher at U.S. News & World Report, The Atlantic, and Fast Company, following an earlier stint as president and publisher of The Atlantic Monthly. In 2000, he returned to the Daily News as an executive, a role he held until 2006. He later served as associate publisher at El Vocero De Puerto Rico.
Beyond his success in business, he never gave up his love of writing. He published two books on sales, including Selling Smart (1982) and The Last Book About Selling That You’ll Ever Need (2020), which shared insights and anecdotes from his career. Ellenthal also wrote Slootie’s Wars (2003) as a tribute to his father’s influence and indomitable character. He continued writing with a regular Substack newsletter called The Art of Selling until the time of his death.
Ellenthal’s greatest joy came from his family. He shared sixty-three years of marriage with his wife, Judith Ellenthal, and took enormous pleasure in watching their family grow. He is survived by three sons: Matthew (and wife Martha), Jonathan (and wife Suzanne), and Andrew (and wife Katherine), as well as eight grandchildren: Zachary, Lex, Alexander, Isabelle, Caroline, Natalie, Samuel, and Benjamin.
The family plans to hold a “Celebration of Life” during the month of August.
