Adolph Ochs, the son of Jewish immigrants from Germany, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on 12th March, 1858. He worked as a compositor on the Louisville Courier-Journal before buying a controlling interest in the Chattanooga Times in July, 1878. This became one of the most successful newspapers in the South and by 1892 was making a profit of $25,000 a year from the venture.

In 1996 Ochs purchased the New York Times in 1896. It was no longer the force it was and now had the smallest circulation of the city's eight morning daily newspapers. Ochs announced to his readers that: "It will be my earnest aim that the New York Times give the news, all the news, in concise and attractive form".

Ochs also cut the price of the New York Times from three cents to one cent, and attracted readers from the tabloid press. However, he made it clear he had no intention of competing with the unscrupulous newspapers by declaring on his front-page: "All the News That's Fit to Print". The strategy was successful and circulation jumped from 25,000 in 1898 to 100,000 in 1901.

The newspaper continued to prosper under Ochs control and by 1921 circulation had reached 330,000 during the week and 500,000 on Sunday. Adolph Ochs died on 8th April, 1935.