Tony Gallagher maintained the Daily Telegraph as Britain's only profitable serious paper - why was he sacked?
On Tuesday morning the Daily Telegraph editor Tony Gallagher sat down for breakfast with David Dinsmore, the editor of The Sun.
Sacked: Tony Gallagher was shown the door despite success
It was a cheery social meeting between two men at the top of their game, confident in their ability to meet the challenges facing the print media as it embraces the digital age.
A couple of hours later Gallagher was sacked, walking through the newsroom with his head held high as staff "banged him out" - an action that could be described as a metaphor for his demise.
"Banging out" is a throwback to the days when newspapers were printed with hot metal and columns were separated by metal rules. When a respected colleague retired, printers would show their respect by banging their rules or other pieces of metal until he had left the building. It was a practice taken up the journalists and can be very emotional for all concerned.
What Jason Seiken, the US media executive brought in as chief content officer of the Telegraph Media Group, made of it is open to speculation. Seiken was, in the main, responsible for Gallagher's defenestration.
In the few months he has been at the Telegraph Seiken has thrown out the previous digital strategy, bringing him into conflict with Gallagher, who was deemed to be out of step and behind the times. So 24 hours before announcing the new way forward the editor had to go.
I know nothing of Seiken but I used to know Gallagher very well when we were both young - well in my case youngish - reporters. Talented, driven, and as ruthless with himself as with others, Gallagher was often not the most social of newsroom animals and there are many former Telegraph staffers who will be glad that he has got his comeuppance. He made few friends by getting rid of loyal and respected reporters whose only fault was being members of the old guard.
He was accused of turning the Telegraph into a broadsheet Daily Mail and bringing over from Kensington its harsher way of working and its combative news style. And he succeeded. No one can doubt that under Gallagher the Telegraph was a very good newspaper and for one very good reason: content.
Gallagher is a newsman who knows that unless you have something worth reading, the best strategy in the world, digital or otherwise, is worthless. He has been sacked while running the only profitable serious paper in Britain. The TMG made more than £50m profit last year, the Guardian lost nearly as much as that and The Times has never made money for years, while the Independent is being hawked around like an old hooker.
Now, there is little chance of John Witherow getting the push and even less of Alan Rusbridger being forced to spend more time with his piano, but it does make you question the definition of success.
So where will Gallagher pop up? The easy answer is the Mail but since his departure there are many young bucks who are battling to be first in line when Paul Dacre finally goes and, historically, the Mail is not a place which welcomes the prodigal son.