The Insiders

July 1 issue — It was two days after Christmas, and Martha Stewart—magazine editor, TV host, syndicated columnist and high priestess of domesticity—wanted to get away from it all. She was flying with two friends from Connecticut to Mexico’s ultratony Las Ventanas resort (a junior suite starts at $585) when her private jet stopped in San Antonio, Texas, to refuel. Just like the rest of us hardworking folks, she called her office to check her messages. The most important one was from her broker, Peter Bacanovic, and Stewart had her assistant patch him into her cell.