Hughes, C

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/09/chris-hughes-new-republic-sale_n_1333900.html?view=print&comm_ref=false">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/09/chris-hughes-new-republic-sale_n_1333900.html?view=print&comm_ref=false</a>

Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes is <a href="http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/09/new-republic-gets-an-owner-steeped-in-new-media/?smid=tw-mediadecoder&seid=auto" target="_hplink">purchasing the New Republic</a>, the nearly century-old political magazine known for its influence in progressive circles, according to The New York Times.

Hughes' acquisition comes as no big surprise. HuffPost's Michael Calderone first reported about his <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/12/facebook-chris-hughes-new-republic-sale_n_1202853.html" target="hplink">interest in The New Republic</a> in January. The magazine's ownership, which includes editor-in-chief emeritus Marty Peretz, had earlier <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/11/new-republic-sale-bloomberg-observer_n_1200244.html" target="hplink">brought in the Blackstone Group</a> to assist in finding a buyer.

Hughes is worth hundreds of millions of dollars thanks to his days at Facebook. He was also a key player in President Obama's online organizing efforts in 2008. More recently, Hughes, who is openly gay, has become involved in the fight for same-sex marriage along with his partner Sean Eldridge, political director for the group Freedom To Marry.