People

By Guy D. Garcia

As capitalist tools go, Malcolm Forbes, 65, cuts a wide swath. The millionaire chairman and editor in chief of Forbes magazine last week embarked on an 18-day swing through Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei for the sheer swell of it. Traveling with an entourage of 20 in his private Boeing 727 (dubbed Capitalist Tool, after the magazine's slogan), Forbes made his first stop at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. He brought along an $80,000, 90- ft.-tall, elephant-shaped balloon to entertain the royal family, but high winds curtailed the flight. Forbes is not bothered by little deflations though, or by large round sums. The trip's $250,000 cost will come out of his own pocket, he said, with no tax deduction.