1989: Having studied journalism in the US and Canada, the 20-year-old Tyler Brule lands a researcher's job in BBC Manchester's "trendy" youth television department. He subsequently goes freelance - and in 1994 is wounded on assignment in Afghanistan when the car in which he is travelling is ambushed by snipers.
1996: Brule dreams up Wallpaper*, a design magazine. This instantly makes him the coolest man in the UK and riches soon follow - after four issues he sells a majority stake to Time Inc for £1 million.
2002: Brule stays on at Wallpaper* as its editorial director but the title is transferred to Time Warner's newly acquired IPC division - and Brule, whose extravagance makes IPC roundheads nervous, is soon edged out. He takes Wink (a branding agency that has evolved out of Wallpaper*'s intelligence unit) with him.
2003: Wink is awarded business by Selfridges and is asked to design the notorious Lifestore project for Marks & Spencer in Gateshead. Wink's highest-profile task, however, is the relaunch of Swiss Air. The big idea is to put glamour back into flying by having the cabin crew serve wine from glass bottles, just as restaurant waiters do.
2005: Brule wins the contract to produce and front BBC4's new media show, The Desk. Much is expected of his new cosmopolitan approach to media journalism, but the launch edition attracts just 16,000 viewers.
Fast forward ...
2006: Having found his metier at last, but realising he needs to build more cross-media momentum, Brule's new company, The Desk Inc, launches a media news magazine. Taking up the editorship, he relocates to Helsinki and relaunches the title complete with an exciting new interior decor section. Meanwhile, Sir Martin Sorrell offers to buy Wink.
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