Paul van Riessen is the editor-in-chief of Quote, the title for which he began working in 2004, since January 2021. Van Riessen trained at the School of Journalism and worked as an editor on television programs and as a political reporter at BNR Nieuwsradio, among other things. By now Paul is a connoisseur in the world of big money. He knows how wealth is earned and how it can then be spent in a pleasant way. Irene van de Laar speaks with the voyeur of the country's richest in the Prinsenzaal of Amsterdam's De L' Europe.

Text: Irene van de Laar

Image: Károly Effenberger

Why did you ever go into journalism?

"I knew as a little boy that's what I wanted to do, because I'm pretty curious by nature and like to be at the front of places where things happen. I can't stand boredom, and in journalism there's always something happening. When one fire is out, I run to the next. You're constantly working on other stories. I like sticking my nose into other people's business. That never gets boring. In that sense, I got it right."

You worked as a parliamentary reporter and did a degree in Journalism. That doesn't include many intersections with finance and entrepreneurship. What attracted you to Quote?

"I was working at BNR News Radio at the time as a parliamentary reporter. Once I figured out a bit about how the Hague game is played, the fun was actually quickly gone. It was too slow, too stuffy for me. A good time to switch to business. As a freelancer for Quote, I had once made an interview with a sheikh from Dubai, who did not expect me to put his unpolished words on paper like that. So that led to quite a bit of legal hassle. Jort (Kelder, ed.) liked those angry lawyer faxes from the Emirates, so when I called him if he didn't have a job for me, a month later I got a desk on Koningsplein. And where my time in the Binnenhof (Inner Court) rather drained me, I actually found a lot of energy with all these entrepreneurs we write about. The ambition of all those people who build something beautiful from nothing, who achieve great successes, kindles me a little. And then there are the crooks who want to enter the world of big money by coloring outside the lines. Those too are fun to study. In addition, I really liked the atmosphere at Quote. They are bad boys with an us-against-the-world feeling."

What story does Quote tell?

"The magazine tells us that success is manufacturable. If you look at the Quote 500, for example, you see that about two-thirds of the people in that list started out empty-handed. The path after that, with trial and error, with cleverness, with a lot of bold action and very much optimism and perseverance, appeals to me. I also like the fact that so many people who have achieved a certain level of success still remain ambitious.Most Dutch people dream about white beaches, vacations and doing nothing. We write about people who can lose themselves in all of that, but still choose to keep banging away, simply because they find that game very cool. To see how that game is played, a bit like a sportscaster, I find very fun and inspiring."

In 2021, you took over from Sander Schimmelpenninck. What course are you on now?

"I admire success, but am also not blind to the beauty of conflict," my Twitter bio once read. So while I think it's cool to hear how entrepreneurs get this far, Quote should obviously not become a club magazine. When people exhibit odd behavior, we like to hold a mirror up to them. And we also like to explore the stories that people would rather not bring out into the open. Without the doggedness you sometimes see in other journalists. We cherish our slightly mocking tone. Because in the end we like to make our readers laugh a little. In his time, Sander brought more opinion to the magazine, he is more of an opinion machine. I am slightly less so. But Quote is not suddenly a different magazine since I am at the helm. I have been working there for twenty years, also for a long time as deputy. So I've been putting my stamp on it for years."

The title Quote is a brand. So are Jort Kelder and Sander Schimmelpenninck. Is Paul van Riessen also a brand?

"No, I don't feel that way at all. I'm editor-in-chief number seven - 007 I always say. Jort and Sander were outspoken types who liked to air their opinions, and still do. And they do it super well, because they are obviously smart guys. I was baked something else, and went into journalism much earlier to listen, to watch, to report. Not to constantly tell people what I think about things. So no, don't count on me becoming yet another clown in the circus of opinions. And it's certainly not my ambition to no longer be able to walk the streets unseen."

What image do editors have of you?

"I think they recognize me as someone who works hard and has heart for the business. As a cooperative foreman, in other words. In any case, I am not the general who shouts how things should be done somewhere far behind the lines, but I also like to climb on the horse myself, to hear the bullets whistle around my ears."

What kind of audience do you target?

"Quote focuses primarily on entrepreneurial, ambitious people. Sometimes these have already managed to realize part of their dreams, but we are also popular with young people who like to learn from the arrivés we portray in our magazine. Our readers can rest assured that we are critical where necessary. For example, when we see entrepreneurs secretly cutting corners in their pursuit of success. In those cases, we do not shy away from showing our teeth, and where necessary to bite through."

To what extent is there a limit to the need for ever-increasing power?

"At some point, money no longer plays a role. In practice, it doesn't matter so much whether you have 20 million or 30 million. These people are much more about the game. They want to win, and they think it's cool to have the idea that they are the smartest, they like the idea of growing their business and getting bigger and bigger. That money has long since ceased to be a driving force, because they have their sheep on dry land. That they still often start at six in the morning and work until eleven in the evening is purely because of that game. That is not seen enough in the Netherlands, that these people are intrinsically motivated to create something beautiful and to achieve growth. There could be a bit more attention and respect for that, as far as I'm concerned."

"Where my time in the Inner Court previously drained me, I actually found a lot of energy with all these entrepreneurs we write about."

 

Don't you get a distorted picture if you always deal with above average rich people? You yourself live in Bloemendaal, there is no Aldi there either by the way....

"I also move outside the circles of wealthy Holland often enough. We started living in Bloemendaal because it is a pleasant place for our daughter to grow up, but we consciously chose an elementary school whose square is not full of au pairs when we go out. We are trying to create a normal worldview for our daughter. A worldview that I have myself. I don't come from a rich family. If I had a hole in my pants, they just sewed up one of those apples. I think it's also good that I'm a bit of an outsider in the world of the rich, because that keeps me wondering what I see there.'

With continued inflation, where is the millionaire bar now?

"We did calculate once what you need to stop working. A few years ago we came up with eight million. Since then, that has gone up. If you have the amount of eleven million, then you have basically got it right and don't have to worry anymore. Then you can be on the golf course every day, take nice trips. You can retire nicely from that. That may be more than some people think. But being a millionaire is not so special these days, that's hundreds of thousands of households that have that thanks to the surplus value of a house or a pension pot that you can count on."

Which magazine does Quote mirror internationally?

"When I send out an interview request to someone from abroad, I always say that Quote is a mix between Forbes and Vanity Fair. Forbes of course because of all the lists as the Quote 500 is also one. Vanity Fair because of the fantastic photography we have, but also the space to tell stories well. But our ironic tone of voice is actually incomparable, even internationally. "

Every year the magazine's flagship magazine is published: the Quote 500. How does this list come about?

"This annual publication is the most in-depth, longest-running investigative journalism project in the Netherlands. Throughout the year, of course, we keep track of which deals are made. The real math starts in May, then we approach all 500 people who make the cut. Many of them help us further, others close the door. We get energy from that too, mind you. We are up for any game, including the one between cat and mouse.'

MASTERS Magazine

Curious about the rest of the interview with Paul van Riessen? This edition of MASTERS wíll have you. A milestone in print, the frontier stretched. Innovative. Surprising. Stunning. Including a most extraordinary guest editor. An interview with the man who, back in 2015, pointed out to the Ajax Supervisory Board gaps within the organization that have now come to light. Merijn Zeeman reveals how Jumbo-Visma has developed into a top sports company. Quoteman Paul van Riessen calculates how much you need to stop working. Sabine Riezebos explains what sets Bernardus apart from other golf courses. A look at the yard of Stratos Yacht, where the ultimate boat for carefree boating pleasure is built. And also, among other things, the rise of robots (where is the sex robot?), Fake News and, exclusively in MASTERS: the 'new Doutzen Kroes'.

Order MASTERS Magazine #56 here