Adam Rapoport

Adam Rapoport is an American magazine editor and writer, best known for his tenure as the editor-in-chief of the food publication Bon Appétit. He led the magazine and its digital expansion for nearly a decade, overseeing its transformation into a major multimedia brand. His career ended abruptly in 2020 following widespread allegations of fostering a discriminatory workplace culture.

Early life and education

He was born around 1969 in St. Louis, Missouri. He developed an early interest in writing and media, which he pursued at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. After graduating, he moved to New York City to begin his career in journalism, initially working for Time Inc. publications.

Career at Bon Appétit

He joined Condé Nast in 2000 as a style editor for the men's magazine GQ, where he worked for over a decade. In 2010, he was appointed editor-in-chief of Bon Appétit, succeeding Barbara Fairchild. Under his leadership, the publication underwent a significant visual and editorial redesign, shifting its focus toward more approachable, contemporary food culture. He spearheaded the brand's expansion into digital video, most notably through the popular Bon Appétit Test Kitchen series on YouTube, which featured personalities like Brad Leone, Claire Saffitz, and Priya Krishna. This strategy greatly increased the magazine's reach and cultural influence, making it a dominant force in the food media landscape during the 2010s.

Resignation and controversy

In June 2020, amid a national reckoning on racial justice following the murder of George Floyd, former Bon Appétit staff member Sohla El-Waylly publicly accused the publication's leadership of pay inequity and a toxic work environment for people of color. A photograph of him in brownface from a 2013 Halloween party also surfaced online, leading to immediate backlash. Condé Nast announced his resignation on June 8, 2020. His departure triggered a wider crisis for the brand, leading to the suspension of the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen videos and public statements from other staffers about alleged discriminatory practices under his management. The controversy was widely covered by media outlets including The New York Times, NPR, and Eater.

Post-Bon Appétit work

Following his resignation, he largely retreated from public view. In 2021, he contributed a reported essay on the pizza scene in Portland, Maine for the magazine Air Mail, marking one of his few published works since leaving Condé Nast. He has not returned to a major editorial role in food media.

Personal life

He is married to artist Simone Shubuck, and they have one son. The family resides in Brooklyn, New York City. He is known to be an avid fan of St. Louis Cardinals baseball and maintains an interest in menswear, a subject he often wrote about during his tenure at GQ.

Category:American magazine editors Category:Bon Appétit people Category:Condé Nast people Category:University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Category:People from St. Louis