{
  "id": 1308928,
  "title": "James Dole's failed coffee plan made him king",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/james-doles-failed-coffee-plan-made-him-king",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-16T16:38:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Economic Times",
    "slug": "the-economic-times",
    "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/global-trends/in-1899-harvard-graduate-james-dole-came-to-hawaii-to-grow-coffee-but-his-failed-plan-b-turned-him-into-the-pineapple-king-and-built-a-pineapple-empire-that-became-famous-worldwide/articleshow/133278684.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 1899, 22-year-old Harvard graduate James Drummond Dole arrived in Hawaii with aspirations of making his fortune in the burgeoning coffee industry. However, his coffee venture proved unsuccessful, and instead, Dole pivoted towards another fruit that would make his name synonymous with pineapples - a crop that would eventually become the backbone of his empire. This initial 61-acre agricultural experiment would ultimately blossom into one of the world's most recognized pineapple operations.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Harvard graduate James Dole arrived in Hawaii in 1899.",
    "Coffee venture failed, leading to pivot to pineapple farming.",
    "Pineapple empire became synonymous with Dole's name."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}