Leonard Riggio, who forged a bookselling empire at Barnes & Noble, dead at 83

Leonard Riggio, a prominent figure in the publishing industry, has passed away at the age of 83. Riggio is best known for his leadership role in transforming Barnes & Noble into a major bookseller. He started his career in 1971 by purchasing Barnes & Noble’s name and flagship store, eventually expanding the company with hundreds of new stores and launching successful “superstores” in the 1990s. Riggio’s tenure faced challenges with the rise of online commerce, particularly from Amazon. Despite its initial success, Barnes & Noble struggled to compete with Amazon’s e-book reader and subscription service. In 2019, Riggio stepped down as chairman after the company was sold to a hedge fund.