No-news press release turns ugly for CEO
The release tried to tout his credentials as a philanthropist, but instead landed a blog story in which he’s repeatedly mocked.
This is an example of the latter.
Allan Jones, founder of something called Check Into Cash, attended a charity auction benefiting Fisher House Foundation and didn’t actually buy a tractor that once owned by Jay Leno. This fact alone should be a cue that no press release is needed.
And yet one was sent out, touting Jones’s chops as a philanthropist. Except here’s the release’s key phrase: “Jones eventually pushed up the bidding on the tractor to $535,000 before declining to move forward.” (Our emphasis.)
Basically, Jones went to a fundraiser and made some large bids on the tractor. He didn’t buy the tractor; someone else did. According to the press release, Jones didn’t buy anything, or make any donation. He just made some bids and then backed out. And it’s something he’s done on more than one occasion, the press release said.
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