The Agora

The Agora
Formerly called
 Agora, Inc.
Private
Industry Research, Investment, Publishing
Founded 1978
Founder Bill Bonner
Headquarters Baltimore, Maryland
Website theagora.com

The Agora, previously Agora, Inc., is a Baltimore, Maryland-based network for over thirty companies in the publishing, information services, and real estate industries.[1][2] Agora was founded in 1978, in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland.[3] The Agora Companies operate independently from cities around the world including London, Paris, Bonn, Melbourne, Johannesburg, Buenos Aires, and Waterford.[3] Collectively, the network of companies publishes over 300 books and 120 newsletters.[4][5]

History

Bill Bonner founded Agora in 1978.[6] Agora began with one flagship publication in 1979, International Living.[6][7] Throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, Agora expanded to include publishing subsidiaries, real estate holdings, and restaurants.[7] By 2015, Agora's publications had over one million readers around the world.[4][5]

In 2016, Agora, previously Agora, Inc., was reintroduced as The Agora, which represents a private network for companies that publish financial, heath, travel research and analysis as well as special interest books and newsletters.[8]

Operations

The combined revenue of all of The Agora Companies combined exceeds $500 thousand, as of 2015.[9] Companies included in The Agora network have purchased access to the email lists of conservative politicians, including Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul, and Newt Gingrich, to advertise its products.[9]

Companies

Each Agora company is independently operated. U.S.-based member companies of The Agora's network include Agora Financial, Laissez Faire Books, Stansberry Research, Common Sense Publishing, The Oxford Club, Money Map Press, Wall Street Daily, Bonner and Partners, TradeSmith, NewMarket Group, Institute of Natural Healing, The Sovereign Society and Omnivista Health.[10]

Its non-U.S.-based members include International Living Publishing, International Living, International Living Properties, Agora Publishing UK, Agora Business Publications, Agora Lifestyles, Fleet Street Publications, FSP Financial Services, MoneyWeek, and Port Phillip Publishing.[11]

Books and newsletters

As of 2016, The Agora Companies have published a combined total of more than 300 books and over 120 newsletters through thirty-six publishers.[7][12] Their titles include The Daily Reckoning, an email newsletter with more than 500,000 subscribers, and the UK-based investment magazine, MoneyWeek, which from January to June 2011 had an Audit Bureau of Circulation certified circulation of 47,366.

Authors published by the Agora companies have written bestselling books, including:[12]

Litigation against Agora Inc.

In Ginsburg v. Agora, Inc., 915 F. Supp. 733 (1995),[15] Agora defended itself against a civil suit claiming violations of state and federal securities laws.[15] The court dismissed the complaint, holding that Agora, as the publisher of a subscription investment newsletter, was protected by the First Amendment against liability for factual misstatements.[15]

In Lubin v. Agora, Inc., 882 A.2d 833 (2005),[16] pursuant to an investigation into potential violations of Maryland securities laws, the Maryland Securities Commissioner served two subpoenas duces tecum on Agora.[16] Following Agora’s refusal to produce its subscriber lists, marketing lists, and other documents containing information identifying any of its subscribers, the Commissioner filed a motion to compel enforcement.[16] The trial court ruled in favor of Agora and denied the motion, concluding that the Commissioner had failed to demonstrate a compelling need for the subscriber lists as required by the First Amendment, and that the demand for subscriber lists was overbroad.[16] The Maryland Securities Commissioner appealed this decision, but the appeals court ruled in favor of Agora.[16] In its opinion, the state of Maryland unanimously ruled the First Amendment prevents the Commissioner from compelling the discovery of the identities of Agora’s subscribers.[16]

In "SEC v. Agora, Inc., Pirate Investor, and Frank Porter Stansberry", (SEC v. Agora complaint, 2003), the SEC alleged Agora companies wrongly profited from selling false information marketed as insider tips. In US SEC v. Pirate Investor LLC, 580 F.3d 233, 255 (4th Cir. 2009) the US Court of Appeal, against the arguments from publishing industry interveners, found fraud by the Agora company, and confirmed that punishing fraud, whether common law fraud or securities fraud, does not violate the First Amendment.

Philanthropy

In 2002, Agora created the non-profit Roberto Clemente Santa Ana Health Clinic to provide low cost and free medical care to the community of Limon 1 in southwest Nicaragua.[17] The clinic serves about 12,000 patients each year.[17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Agora Inc.". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Agora Inc.: Beauty as a benefit". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Company Overview of Agora, Inc.". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  4. 1 2 Conor Kane (May 16, 2015). "Publishing company announces 100 new jobs for Waterford". Breaking News. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Kym Byrnes (December 1, 2014). "Agora Inc. thrives as a marketplace for ideas". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Bill Bonner on Economic Depression, Hyperinflation and the Rapidly Declining U.S. Empire". The Daily Bell. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 "Agora's marketing tactics bring success, accusations". Investors Hub. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  8. ↑ Kit Pollard. "Meet the new Agora companies". Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  9. 1 2 Tim Murphy (November 2015). "Spam Artists". Mother Jones.
  10. ↑ "Contributors". The Palm Beach Letter. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Company Overview of MoneyWeek Ltd.". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  12. 1 2 "Bill Bonner: A Driving Force in the Direct-Response Industry". American Writers and Artists. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Michael Masterson: The Pen Name that Started It All". American Writers and Artists. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Marc Lichtenfeld, Associate Investment Director". Healthcare Profits Alert. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  15. 1 2 3 "Jerome Z. Ginsburg, v. Agora, Inc.". Google Scholar. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Melanie Senter Lubin, Securities Commissioner for the State of Maryland v. Agora, Inc.". Google Scholar. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  17. 1 2 "A Little Goes a Long Way...". Santa Ana Health Clinic. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
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