Sun Valley Meetings
Incomplete membership list
continually updated
Allen, Herbert A. |
The person who set up the Sun Valley meetings in 1983.
He is the President and CEO of the New York investment bank Allen
& Company, Inc., which specializes in big media deals. Personal
fortune is estimated at just below 2 billion dollars. |
Allen, Herbert, III |
Son of Herb A. Allen. Fresh from Yale in 1989, he worked for mutual
fund house T. Rowe Price and London investment firm Botts & Co.,
before joining the family firm. If he acquits himself well, there's
little doubt he can succeed his father. His father owns slightly less
than 45% of Allen & Co., and his family owns 35% more. The 14
managing directors and a few other employees own the rest. |
Allen, Paul |
A recent article about Paul Allen begins, "Microsoft spawned
two billionaires. Paul Allen is the other one." Paul Allen is
best known as the second founder of Microsoft Corporation, along with
his more renowned partner William (Bill) Gates. Allen is also notable
for being the second-richest (occasionally third-richest) human on
the planet with his estimated fortune of $21 billion, after his partner Bill Gates. Co-founder Vulcan Ventures. Financier of SETI and SpaceShipOne. |
Armstrong, C. Michael |
Miami University of Ohio 1961, IBM 1962-1991, chairman Hughes Corporation
1992-1997, chairman and CEO AT&T 1997-2002, chairman Comcast Corporation,
director Citigroup since 1989, director HCA Inc., director Hospital
Corporation of America, director IHS Inc. director Parsons Corporation,
member U.S. Advisory Board of Schroder Ventures, member Council on
Foreign Relations, member Trilateral Commission, member Alfalfa Club,
trustee of The Johns Hopkins University, chairman of Johns Hopkins
Medicine since 2005. |
Azcarraga, Emilio |
Educated at Culver Military Academy, graduated 1948. Married four
times, most recently to Paula Cusi; children include: Emilio Azcarraga
Jean. Worked in various positions in television; owner of Univision,
a twelve-station Spanish language network in the U.S., 1960s and 1970s;
controlling shareholder, chairman and CEO of Mexican Broadcaster Grupo
Televisa, S.A.; owner of The National sports daily, 1990-91; owner
of major Mexican television stations; chairman of Galavision; also
involved in publishing, video, and real estate ventures. Died 1999.
|
Ballmer, Steve |
Steve Ballmer is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Microsoft
Corporation, the world’s leading software company and one of
the largest and most visible corporations in the world. A former dormitory-mate
of Bill Gates at Harvard, Ballmer joined a young Microsoft Corporation
in 1980. He was promoted to president in 1998 and replaced Gates as
the company’s CEO in 2000. Frequently described using adjectives
such as blunt, aggressive, and bombastic (as witness his performance
in the famous “Monkeyboy” video), Ballmer has served as
Microsoft’s “head coach” since long before assuming
the top executive post. During increasingly difficult times, Ballmer
seeks to sustain Microsoft’s double-digit growth in a maturing
and increasingly competitive software market. |
Barad, Jill |
A graduate of Queens College in New York, she joined Mattel in 1981,
became marketing director for the Barbie doll brand in 1982, was named
executive vice president in 1986, president of Mattel USA in 1990,
a director in 1991, and president and chief operating officer of Mattel
Inc. in 1992. She made her mark largely by re-establishing Barbie
dolls as America's most enduring toy franchise. A survey in the January
Working Woman magazine Barad was the named nation's third-highest
compensated woman executive in America. The survey said her total
compensation in 1994 was $4.67 million. She was also a director Pixar. |
Barton, Peter |
In 1982, Barton moved to Denver to join Tele-Communications Inc.,
the cable TV giant owned by media mogul John Malone. Barton initially
negotiated cable franchises for the company that would eventually
become the largest U.S. cable operator. In 1986, he became president
of TCI's Cable Value Network, which later evolved into the QVC cable
TV shopping network. Five years later, Barton became head of Liberty
Media, TCI's holding company for cable TV programming assets. Liberty
Media was subsequently spun off as a public company, then re-acquired
by TCI and spun off again in the AT&T Corp. acquisition of TCI.
Barton left Liberty Media in 1997 to head a private investment company.
Later, he developed the Privacy Foundation at the University of Denver.
The independent watchdog group researches the impact of technology
on privacy issues. He died in 2002 of cancer and is to be inducted
into the cable industry's Hall of Fame in November. John Malone was
a good friend. |
Berg, Jeffrey |
Chairman International Creative Management, director Oracle Corporation
since 1997, director of Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc., co-chair California's
Council on Information Technology, president Executive Board of the
College of Letters and Sciences at the University of California at
Berkeley, trustee Anderson School of Management at the University
of California at Los Angeles. |
Bezos, Jeffrey P. |
Princeton University computer sciences & electrical engineering,
vice-president Bankers Trust, founder Amazon.com, billionaire. Thinks
Warren Buffett is a genius we should all listen to. |
Biondi, Frank J. |
Princeton University bachelor of arts. Harvard MBA. Managing director
WaterView Advisors LLC (investment advisors). President and CEO Viacom
1987-1996. Chairman and CEO Universal Studios 1996-1998. CEO Paramount
Pictures. CEO Home Box Office. Director Harrahs Entertainment, Hasbro, Amgen, Motion Picture Association of America,
Cablevision Systems Corporation, and the Bank of New
York. He comes to the Sun Valley every year. At his home in Martha's Vineyard he has hosted a bunch of fundraisings for the Clintons. In 2005 Sir Evelyn de Rothschild and Lynn Forester de Rothschild were among his guests. |
Bloomberg, Michael |
Johns Hopkins University, Harvard MBA, became partner Salomon Brothers
of New York in 1972. Michael Bloomberg is the founder and controlling
owner of Bloomberg, L.P., a diversified media enterprise and one of
the most successful information industry startups of its kind. The
company’s operations are centered on the provision of financial
and business information – including a massive stream of raw
data plus various analytical tools – to mostly large institutional
clients such as banks, brokerage houses, government agencies, and
traditional media companies. As a result of Bloomberg L.P.’s
success, Michael Bloomberg is one of the richest people in the world,
with a fortune valued at close to $5 billion. In January 2002, Bloomberg
assumed office as the 108th Mayor of the City of New York. Also chairman
of the Board Trustees of Johns Hopkins University. In 1997, Michael
Bloomberg published his autobiography, Bloomberg by Bloomberg.
All of the royalties from sales of the book are donated to the Committee
to Protect Journalists. Bloomberg has an estimated fortune of $5 billion
dollars. Trustee of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies. |
Bradley, Bill |
One of the first pro-athlete-turned-politicians, Bradley was also
one of the few with bona fide intellectual credentials. A three-time
All-American at Princeton, Bradley delayed his professional basketball
career to spend two years at Oxford University on a Rhodes scholarship
. Upon his return he joined the New York Knicks and played on their
1970 and 1973 championship teams. In 1978 he was elected to the U.S.
Senate and served three terms. In January 1999 he announced his intention
to run for president, aiming for the nomination from the Democratic
Party. He was defeated in the 2000 primary elections by then Vice
President Al Gore. Bill is a friend of Herb. In 2005 he introduced
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan to the members of the Sun Valley. |
Brin, Sergey |
Born in Russia, Brin studied computer science and mathematics before co-founding Google with Larry Page. Brin is the President of Technology at Google and has a net worth estimated at seven billion U.S. dollars. |
Brokaw, Tom |
Born in Webster, South Dakota, U.S., 6 February 1940. Educated at
University of South Dakota, B.A. in political science 1962. Began
career as newscaster, weatherman, and staff announcer at KTIV in Sioux
City, Iowa, 1960-62; morning news editor for KMTV in Omaha, Nebraska,
1962-65; editor for 11:00 news for WSB-TV in Atlanta, Georgia, 1965-66;
joined NBC news as anchorman, KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, California, 1966;
with NBC since 1966. Honorary degrees: University of South Dakota;
Washington University; Syracuse University; Hofstra University; Boston
College; Emerson College; Simpson College; Duke University, 1991;
Notre Dame University, 1993. Recipient: Alfred I. DuPont Award, 1987;
George Foster Peabody Award, 1988. Member of the CFR. Invited in 2005 as a member of the panel on terrorism. Former CIA chief George Tenet and New York Times / Foreign Affairs columnist Thomas Friedman (CFR) were the other members of the panel. The panel was established, because at the start of the conference there were terrorrist attacks in London. |
Bronfman, Edgar, Jr. |
Billionaire Edgar Bronfman Jr. inherited the helm of the Seagram
Company Ltd. in 1994. His grandfather Sam Bronfman built the beverage
powerhouse, but the grandson has expanded it into telecommunications
by buying a piece of Time Warner and pursuing a personal movie bug:
The former teenage amateur filmmaker grew up to buy 80 percent of
MCA/Universal Studios in 1995. Edgar Bronfman, Jr. is the third-generation
heir of one of North America’s great business dynasties. In
less than a decade, he transformed the Seagram wine and liquor business
into one of the world’s largest media and entertainment conglomerates.
Unable to keep pace with the late 1990s consolidation of media giants
such as Disney and Time Warner, Bronfman in 2000 sold the family business
to Vivendi S.A. in what turned out to be one of the most disastrous
media deals in recent memory. Bronfman re-entered the media/music
business in December 2003 with the acquisition of Time Warner’s
Music Group. President of the World Jewish Congress. His uncle, Charles R. Bronfman, became a member of the Canadian Privy Council in 1992. |
Brown, J. Gordon |
Gordon Brown was appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer on
2 May 1997 (the UK cabinet minister responsible for all financial
matters. Works closely with the Bank of England). He has been MP
for Dunfermline East since 1983 and was Opposition spokesperson
on Treasury and Economic Affairs (Shadow Chancellor) from 1992.
From 1976 to 1980, Mr Brown lectured at Edinburgh University and
then Caledonian University before taking up a post at Scottish TV
(1980 - 1983). After becoming an MP, Mr Brown was the Chair of the
Labour Party Scottish Council (1983 - 1984). Before becoming Shadow
Chancellor he held two other senior posts on the Opposition front
bench - Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury (1987 - 1989) and
Shadow Trade and Industry Secretary (1989 -1992). Brown is the number
2 in the Labour party, behind Blair, and has been to Bilderberg
in 1991. Also a member of the Queen's Privy Council, member of DAVOS,
and chairman of the IMF's International Monetary and Financial Committee
(IMF's key decision-making committee). He went at least once to
the Sun Valley in 1998. Member of the extremely aristocratic Other Club, over the years together with the Duke of Devonshire (Cavendish), the 7th Marquess of Salisbury (Le Cercle), Lord Carrington (Pilgrims Society president), Lord Richardson of Duntisbourne (major Pilgrims Society member), Lord Jacob Rothschild, Lord Rees-Mogg (media disinformation agent with Richard Mellon Scaife through Strategic Investments and Newsmax), Prince Charles, Lord Julian Amery (former head Le Cercle), Lord Kelvedon (Le Cercle), Tony Blair, Sir Edward Heath, Sir Denis Thatcher (husband of), and Winston S. Churchill (grandson of). Lord Rothschild organised a fund-raising in June
of 2001 at 11 Downing Street, official home of the Chancellor of
the Exchequer Gordon Brown, to which 130 guests attended. On taking office as Chancellor, Brown sprung a surprise by giving
the Bank of England operational independence (from the British government)
in the conduct of monetary policy, and thus responsibiltiy for setting
interest rates. Martin Ivens, deputy editor of the Sunday Times: "Mr Brown
dominates this government like no other post-war chancellor. The
chancellor tells other ministers how to spend their budgets and
even dictates, or 'challenges' as the Treasury mandarins delicately
put it, their policies. The puritanical pundits cheer Mr Brown as
a serious man doing a serious job, while next door at No 10 the
incumbent holds parties for pop stars and millionaires."
|
Buffett, Warren |
Studied at Wharton School of Finance 1947-1949, University of Nebraska
1950, Columbia University M.S., 1951. After working as an investment
salesman and securities analyst, he was partner (1956-1969) in the
investment firm Buffett Partnership, Ltd. In 1965, he acquired the
textile manufacturer Berkshire Hathaway and became (1970) chairman
and CEO. Through judicious investments and acquisitions of insurance
companies and manufacturing and service firms, Buffett has transformed
Berkshire Hathaway into a large conglomerate; in 1999, its assets
were $124 billion. His investments have also made him one of the wealthiest
people in the world. He has co-authored Warren Buffett Speaks
(with J. C. Lowe, 1997) and Thoughts of Chairman Buffett (with
S. Reynolds, 1998). His father, Howard Homan Buffett,. 1903-1964,
an investment banker, was a U.S. congressman from Nebraska (1943-1949,
1951-1953). Warren Buffett is, just as Rupert Murdoch, acquainted with
the Rothschild family and has been invited to Waddesdon Manor mansion
in England. Member of the Alfalfa Club. |
Case, Stephen M. |
Steve Case was the founder, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and chairman
of America Online Corporation (AOL), and then chairman of the world’s
largest media company, AOL Time Warner. Case was forced out of a faltering
AOL Time Warner in January 2003. As a result of the meteoric success
of AOL followed by the rapid decline of AOL Time Warner, Case’s
reputation and personal market value have vacillated more drastically
than the NASDAQ. Member of the Alfalfa Club. |
Chernin, Peter |
Peter Chernin is a former book editor who worked his way up Hollywood's
power chain as a TV producer for Showtime and eventually head of the
Fox (FOX ) Broadcasting Co. And he can finesse things at News Corp.
for his high-powered boss, Rupert Murdoch, like nobody's business.
Chernin, 52, oversees film and TV production of such blockbuster hits
as X-2: X-Men United and runs Fox's fast-growing FX and other entertainment
channels. Those properties helped propel the company to double-digit
increases in revenues and earnings in '03. He has a far more pleasant
character than Rupert Murdoch according to many. |
Cox, Anne |
One of the Cox sisters. Cox Enterprises is the successor to the
publishing company founded at Dayton, Ohio, by James Middleton Cox,
who began with the Dayton Daily News. The company is private, 98%
controlled by the octogenarian daughters of Cox, Barbara Cox Anthony
and Anne Cox Chambers, two of the richest women in America, worth
$10.3 billion each according to Forbes Magazine. The CEO is Anthony's
son, James C. Kennedy. The company, now headquarted in Atlanta, Georgia,
continues to publish the Daily News as well as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
and fifteen other daily newspapers. It also publishes 30 non-daily
papers, including The Western Star, Ohio's oldest weekly newspaper.
The company owns 15 television stations including WHIO-TV, the Dayton
affiliate of CBS, 81 radio stations, and a large cable television
enterprise. |
Cox, Barbara |
One of the Cox sisters. Control the private Cox Enterprises (Cox
Communications, Manheim, Cox Newspapers, Cox Television, Cox Radio
and AutoTrader.com). See the bio of Anne Cox. |
Crawford, Gordon |
Chief media stock picker for the L.A.-based investment firm Capital Research & Management.
Gordon Crawford's actions are closely watched on Wall Street. Considered as one of "the media world's savviest investors," Crawford is known for long-term investments and it is eerie how prophetic his predictions have been to this point. In early 2001, Crawford liquidated Capital's Disney shares completely, prompting other investors to lessen their holdings, destabilizing Disney's already rocky position and spelling Eisner's doom. In late 2002, Crawford met with Time Warner Chairman Stephen Case and gave him a simple and clear recommendation: Resign. Now it appears Crawford has set his sights on Viacom's Sumner Redstone. |
Daft, Douglas |
As chairman of the board and CEO of Coca-Cola, Daft drives the train that delivers 50% of the world’s non-alcoholic beverages, including the #1 Coke, #3 Diet Coke, Minute Maid, PowerAde, Sprite, Barq’s Dr. Pepper, Danone, Sparkletts, Evian, and even the healthfood favorite Odwalla. Daft, who took his current position in February 2000, last year earned a salary of $1.5 million, plus a $4.5 million bonus. He also owns 3.5 million Coke shares (valued today at $175 million). He also sits on the boards of SunTrust Banks, McGraw-Hill Companies, The Center for Strategic & International Studies (A Stanford University Think Tank), the Trilateral Commission, The Business Council, The Business Roundtable, Catalyst, Grocery Manufacturers of America, and the British-American Chamber of Commerce.
Coca Cola has been accused of contracting paramilitary death squads to torture, kidnap, and murder union leaders in Central and South-America.
The Campaign to Stop Killer Coke and Corporate Campaign Inc. has erected to draw attention to these allegations. |
Dean, Bob |
Managing director and vice-president of the risk-arbitrage department
at Allen & Co. |
Dell, Michael |
Michael Dell is the founder, chairman, and Chief Executive Officer
of Austin, Texas-based Dell Computer Corporation. Known for its revolutionary
made-to-order, zero-inventory business model, Dell Computer is the
world’s leading computer systems company. |
Diller, Barry |
Barry Diller is an American media executive and entrepreneur; known
among other things for his early programming innovations with ABC
Television; the creation of a fourth television network at Fox Broadcasting;
the onetime chairmanship of Paramount Pictures and the QVC Network;
the founding of USA Networks; and the assumption of a lucrative position
as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vivendi Universal Entertainment
(VUE). With VUE’s parent, Vivendi Universal, in a financial
and legal crisis, Diller became a major player in the game to take
over the company’s entertainment assets. Ultimately, Diller
lost out to bigger media such as NBC for the Vivendi assets and went
back to nurturing and strategizing his acquisitions such as Expedia
and LendingTree.com. Called Edgar Bronfman a “third-generation
bimbo”. Also said: "Deals just don't get done in Hollywood
unless they [Allen & Co.] are involved." |
Eisner, Michael |
Michael Eisner took over the top post at the Walt Disney Company
in 1984. An imposing leader at 6 feet, 4 inches tall, he transformed
Disney from a fading minor player worth about $2 billion into a $28
billion a year multimedia conglomerate within a decade. During the
1990s, Eisner established Disney as the third largest corporation
of its kind without sacrificing the company’s place as the premier
family entertainment studio of the twentieth century. Eisner fought
a running battle with disgruntled shareholders during the early 2000
decade as the Disney share price slumped, the firm was beset with
continung problems with EuroDisney, and Eisner was openly criticized
for both his judgement and management style by prominent shareholders
such as Roy Disney. In early September 2004, Eisner surprised the
entertainment community by announcing his intention to resign in 2006. Director of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, together with four former U.S. presidents, Maurice R. Greenberg, Henry R. Kravis (Bohemian Grove), David Rockefeller, Jerry I. Speyer (big Rockefeller guy), John C. Whitehead (photographed standing behind Lord Rothschild and Kissinger; likely Pilgrim), Anne M. Tatlock (gone from her WTC on the morning on 9/11), Sir John Bond (HSBC; Multinaltional Chairman's Group), Richard D. Parsons (Sun Valley Meetings), and Peter G. Peterson(chair Blackstone Group; chair NY Fed; chair CFR).
|
Erdogan, Recep Tayyip |
Turkish Prime Minister who gave a speech about Islam in 2005. He answered questions about
Islam, democracy, and globalization.
Rhodes Scholar Bill Bradley introduced him. |
Ergen, Charles |
Head of country's second-biggest satellite provider, EchoStar, now
in midst of buying the biggest one, DirecTV, from General Motors in
$26 billion deal. Former Frito-Lay financial analyst started delivering
to large-dish rural residents in 1980. Now, through Dish Network,
provides more than 500 channels to over 5 million customers. He has
a personal fortune of almost 7 billion dollars. |
Esrey, William T. |
William Esrey began his career in telecommunications in 1964 with
AT&T. Even though his goal at that time was to become president
of that company, he left the corporation in 1970 after becoming the
youngest officer in its history. He then joined the investment banking
firm of Dillon, Read and Company in New York City, where he became
the managing director. In 1980, William came to United Telecommunications
as the executive vice president of corporate planning. In 1982, he
became president of United Telecom Communications Inc., later named
US Telecom. In 1985, William Esrey was made president and CEO of United
Telecommunications. Additional responsibilities as president and CEO
of Sprint were taken on by William in 1988. In 1990, he has become
chairman of Sprint and United Telecom (Sprint is the third largest
long-distance telecommunications firm). Also a director of The Equitable
Life Assurance Society of the United States, Panhandle Eastern Corp.,
and General Mills. Member Trilateral Commission. |
Fisher, George |
CEO of Motorola Inc., chairman of Kodak. |
Friedman, Thomas L. |
New York Times and Foreign Affairs columnist who was invited in 2005 as a member of the panel on terrorism. Former CIA chief George Tenet and NBC anchor Tom Brokaw (CFR) were the other members of the panel. The panel was established, because at the start of the conference there were terrorrist attacks in London. Friedman is a neoliberal globalist who ridicules people who are against this concept. |
Freeman, Morgan |
In 2005, he announced his new company called Clickstar Inc. In 1996, actor Morgan Freeman created
Revelations Entertainment. |
Furstenberg, Diane von |
Great-grandchild of Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton, the Scotch–German wife of Prince Albert I of Monaco, though by Lady Mary's second marriage. The Belgian-born von Furstenberg had made her mark on the New York
fashion world in 1972 with her versatile dress, which was appropriate
for the office yet sexy enough for a night at Studio 54. During the
next few years, she sold five million of them. Then the market became
saturated, sales dried up, and she sold most of her licenses to avoid
bankruptcy. "I lost control," she says. She retreated to
Europe. In 1992, the designer embarked on a comeback. She started
Silk Assets, one of the first clothing lines for QVC. "It was
tacky, but it gave me confidence," she says. Then she founded
Diane von Furstenberg Studio to design moderately priced apparel sold
at upscale department stores. The latest wrap dress, for example,
retails for $298. The line has been a hit with consumers and critics
alike, and the business turned its first profit in 2003. For von Furstenberg,
58, whose fall 2005 collection features a Russian theme, success has
been sweeter this time. |
Gabelli, Mario J. |
Mario J. Gabelli is the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Investment Officer-Value Portfolios of Gabelli Asset Management Inc.,
a widely recognized provider of investment advice and brokerage services
to mutual funds, institutional and high net worth investors. Gabelli
Asset Management Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under
the symbol GBL. Mr. Gabelli founded the firm in 1977 as a broker-dealer.
It has since grown into the diversified financial services corporation
it is today. Mr. Gabelli is a summa cum laude graduate of Fordham
University and holds an MBA degree from Columbia University Graduate
School of Business, and an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Roger Williams
University in Rhode Island. He is a leading proponent of the Graham
& Dodd school of security analysis. He is a pioneer in applying
Graham & Dodd's principles to the analysis of domestic, cash generating,
franchise companies in a wide range of industries. His proprietary
Private Market Value methodology is now an analytical standard in
the value investing community. Mr. Gabelli is a Chartered Financial
Analyst, a member and former officer of the New York Society of Security
Analysts, the New York Society of Auto Analysts and the Entertainment
Analysts Group of New York. He is a trustee of Fordham Preparatory
School, Fairfield University, Roger Williams University, Winston Churchill
Foundation of the United States, and a institutes. Gabelli is a major
shareholder of Cablevision. |
Gates, William "Bill" |
William (Bill) Henry Gates III is the co-founder, chairman, and
chief software architect of Microsoft Corporation, the world’s
No. 1 software company. Since becoming the world’s richest person,
Gates has been at once one of the most admired individuals in the
U.S. and one of the most resented, envied, and vilified. A fiercely
competitive monopolist and corporate strategist who has successfully
thwarted competitors and trust-busters, Gates is also a charismatic
leader generally liked and respected by employees and colleagues.
During the 2000 decade, Gates has also become the most generous, and
perhaps the most effective, philanthropist in history. He is a Knight
of the British Empire. In the 2001 meeting he shocked some participants
when he said: "I'm going to destroy three companies: Sun
Microsystems, Oracle, and Netscape." Many thought it was
a bit immature to use the word 'destroy', since competition
is something natural. In general, he seems to have some trouble containing
his emotions. |
Geffen, David |
From the mail room of the William Morris Agency, David Geffen clawed,
connived, schmoozed, and just plain worked his way to the top of Hollywood’s
entertainment industry. After promoting the careers of 1970s musical
stars such as Jackson Browne, the Eagles, Joni Mitchell, and Linda
Ronstadt; Geffen moved on to found or cofound Asylum Records, Geffen
Records, the Geffen Film Company and DreamWorks SKG. On his way to
becoming Hollywood’s first self-made billionaire, Geffen funded
two hit Broadway plays, produced five movies, announced an engagement
to musician-actress Cher (she called it off), came out publicly as
a gay man, and supported the presidential candidacy of William Jefferson
Clinton. |
Goizueta, Roberto C. |
Yale chemical engineering, Cuban refugee who became chairman and
CEO of Coca-Cola Company, strengthening company's global dominance
in field. Died in 1997 of lung cancer after having received chemotherapy
and radiation treatments. |
Gould, Paul A. |
Managing director Allen & Company, executive trustee New School,
chairman Cornell University's Office of Investment Management, chairman
Information Technology Advisory Board of the New School. Nancy B.
Peretsman and Philip Scaturro of Allen & Company are also involved
in the school. Gould is a director of Liberty Media Corporation, Ampco-Pittsburgh
Corporation, and UnitedGlobalCom. |
Graham, Donald |
Chief executive officer and chairman of the board of The Washington
Post Company. He is also chairman of The Washington Post newspaper.
Graham retired in September 2000. He is the son of previous Post publishers
Katharine Graham and Phillip Graham. |
Grove, Andrew S. |
Andrew S. (Andy) Grove is the Chairman of the Board of Intel Corporation,
as well as a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who participated
in the founding of the company. Under Grove's tenure as Intel's CEO,
the company grew from the world's tenth-largest manufacturer of semiconductors
to the industry's dominant firm, and one of the most important companies
on the planet. |
Hefner, Christie |
Christie Hefner is the chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Playboy
Enterprises and the daughter of the company’s founder, Hugh
M. Hefner. Playboy Enterprises is a diversified publishing, entertainment,
and media firm anchored by the iconic Playboy magazine, a half-century
old periodical featuring articles, interviews, fiction, and nude photographs
of well-endowed young women. A self-professed feminist, Christie Hefner
has consciously diverged from the libertine excesses associated with
her father’s lifestyle. Described as “slim, attractive,
lively, serious, efficient, and firm,” she runs Playboy’s
corporate show, while her father attends to the editing of Playboy
magazine. |
Hendricks, John S. |
John S. Hendricks is the founder and chairman of Discovery Communications,
Inc. the leading global real-world media and entertainment company.
Hendricks created the Discovery Channel in 1982 as the first cable
network in the United States designed to provide high quality documentary
programming enabling people to explore their world and satisfy their
natural curiosity. Mr. Hendricks has been the driving force behind
DCI’s dramatic growth including the expansion of DCI from
its core property, the Discovery Channel, to current global operations
in 160 countries with over one billion total subscribers. Under
Mr. Hendricks’ leadership, DCI’s stable of networks
now encompass over 60 networks of distinctive programming representing
21 entertainment brands including TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel,
Discovery Health Channel, Discovery Kids, and Discovery Times Channel.
DCI’s other properties consist of Discovery.com and 120 Discovery
Channel retail stores. Mr. Hendricks serves on the Board of Directors
of a number of non-profit organizations including the American Film
Institute, The Colorado Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and the
National Cable and Telecommunications Association. Mr. Hendricks
also serves on the Advisory Board of Lowell Observatory. |
Horn, Alan B. |
Executive vice president American Home Mortgage Investment Corp.,
chairman Greenberg Traurig LLP of New York. |
Huizenga, Wayne |
Successful Florida Entrepreneur with Waste Management Inc. In 1983,
Huizenga retired from WMI with stock and options valued at $23 million.
Shortly thereafter, he began purchasing a series of service companies
in South Florida, including laundry, bottled water, lawn care, pest
control and portable toilet businesses, under the umbrella of Huizenga
Holdings. He continued to grow these businesses, but always looked
for the next big thing. A friend brought Huizenga to a local Blockbuster
video franchise, with the hopes that he would get involved. Once Huizenga
saw the business plan, he knew it was a good prospect. He bought control
of the entire company, subsequently becoming chairman and CEO, and
began to reacquire franchises in key markets in an effort to take
the company nationwide as quickly as possible. Blockbuster went public
in 1989 and, over a six-year span, opened a new store every 17 hours.
By 1994, Huizenga had acquired 100 video and music chains, as well
as production and distribution companies. Entertainment Weekly named
Huizenga one of the 10 most powerful people in the entertainment industry.
When Viacom acquired Blockbuster in 1994, Huizenga had successfully
and systematically grown the company from a $7 million business with
19 stores to a $4 billion enterprise with more than 3,700 stores in
11 countries. After the sale of Blockbuster, Huizenga refocused his
activities on Huizenga Holdings, acquiring Republic Waste Industries,
which he grew to be the third-largest company of its kind in the U.S.
At the same time, Huizenga planned and launched AutoNation, the first
nationwide auto dealer in the U.S. Huizenga developed a one-price
strategy, hired exceptional management, and grew AutoNation to be
the largest auto dealership in the country – now with 370 dealerships
– and the first to go public. Next, Huizenga formed the company
Extended Stay America with an associate. In its first year, the company
surpassed its goal of 50 locations by 12. By the time Extended Stay
America was sold in 2004, it had nearly 500 hotels in 42 states. Huizenga
has also led several sports franchises in Florida. He led the charge
in Southern Florida to obtain a Major League Baseball team, and in
its fifth year, the Florida Marlins won the World Series. Huizenga
was also entrusted with the Florida Panthers, a National Hockey League
expansion team, which reached the Stanley Cup Finals in its third
season. Currently, Huizenga’s only sports holding is the Miami
Dolphins, but at one time he was the first person to own three major-league
sports franchises at once. Today he is a Billionaire. Met Viacom's
Redstone at Sun Valley in the early 1990s, a relationship that culminated
in Viacom buying Blockbuster in 1994 for US$7.7 billion. |
Idei, Nobuyuki |
Nobuyuki Idei was named Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Sony
Corporation, in June 2000. The Chief Executive Officer title was renamed
as Group Chief Executive Officer, Sony Corporation, in April 2003.
He had served as President and Chief Executive Officer since June
1999. He was named President and Representative Director, Sony Corporation,
in April 1995. Mr. Idei has played a key role in moving Sony into
the digital age and in developing and enhancing Sony’s renowned
design and brand image throughout his career. He oversaw the areas
of Corporate Communications and Advertising as a Director and then
Managing Director of Sony Corporation from 1989-1995. During that
time he also served as Senior General Manager of the Creative Communication
Division (1994), Products Communication Group (1993), Merchandising
and Product Communication Strategy Group (1991), and Advertising and
Marketing Communication Strategy Group (1990). With his strong background
in international marketing, Mr. Idei has contributed significantly
to Sony’s reputation as one of the worldwide leaders in the
consumer audio/ video industry as Deputy Senior General Manager, Video
Group (1986) and Senior General Manager, Home Video Group (1988).
He has been instrumental in Sony’s involvement in the computer
business and was a key figure in the establishment of Sony’s
compact disc market, and the strengthening of Sony’s consumer
VCR business. Internationally he was active in the establishment of
Sony’s European market presence, particularly through the opening
of Sony France in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Mr.
Idei joined Sony in 1960 after graduating from Waseda University,
Faculty of Politics and Economics. He also attended L’Institute
des Hautes Etudes Internationales in Geneva, Switzerland (from 1962
to 1963). His family includes his wife, Teruyo, and a daughter, Mari.
He is fluent in English and French, and his interests include golf
and movies. Mr. Idei was also elected onto the board of General Motors
in November 1999 and Nestlé S.A. in April 2001. He served as
Chairman of the IT Strategy Council, an advisory committee to Japan’s
Prime Minister from July to November 2000. |
Iger, Robert A. |
Robert A. Iger, president and chief operating officer and CEO-elect
of The Walt Disney Company, has held his current position since January,
2000. At that time, he also became a member of Disney's board of directors
and of its executive management committee. He will officially become
chief executive officer on October 1, 2005. Iger had been chairman
of the Disney-owned ABC Group, where he guided the complex merger
of ABC with The Walt Disney Company. Simultaneously, he was president
of Walt Disney International, where he created an organization embracing
Europe, the Asia-Pacific Region and Latin America. His mission for
Walt Disney International was to establish Disney's brand on a worldwide
basis and consolidate international operations under a coordinated
leadership. As Disney's president and chief operating officer, Iger
works with Michael D. Eisner, chairman and chief executive officer,
in overseeing all aspects of The Walt Disney Company's operations
on a worldwide basis. The heads of all of Disney's business units
and its chief strategic officer report to both Eisner and Iger. Iger
first became part of Disney's management team in 1996, when The Walt
Disney Company acquired Capital Cities/ABC, where Iger had been president
and chief operating officer. During Iger's years with ABC, he obtained
hands-on experience in virtually every aspect of the television network
business, including news, sports and entertainment, as well as the
business side of television such as program acquisition, rights negotiations
and business affairs. ABC saw tremendous growth during Iger's career
there, becoming a market leader in network television and expanding
into numerous cable and related ventures, including A&E, The History
Channel, Lifetime, ESPN and ESPN-related businesses. He began his
career at ABC in 1974 as a studio supervisor in New York, then moved
to ABC Sports, where he advanced over a 12-year period through a series
of increasingly responsible management posts. He became vice president
of programming, responsible for all scheduling and program acquisitions
for ABC Sports in 1987. He left ABC Sports in 1988 for a promotion
to executive vice president of the ABC Television Network and became
president of ABC Entertainment in Los Angeles a year later. Iger was
promoted to president to the ABC Television Network Group in New York
in 1993 and was named president and chief operating officer of ABC
in 1994. He is a member of the board of directors of Lincoln Center
for the Performing Arts, Inc. and New York City Outward Bound. He
is a trustee of the American Film Institute Board, of the Museum of
Television and Radio and of Ithaca College, where he graduated magna
cum laude. |
Jobs, Steven P. |
Steven Paul Jobs is the charismatic and temperamental co-founder
of Apple Computer. Perhaps the pre-eminent pioneer of personal computing,
Jobs was compelled to leave Apple in 1985. Jobs founded NeXT Computer
in 1985, purchased a majority share of the 3-D animation company Pixar
Corporation in 1986, and returned to the helm of Apple in 1997. Has
has also been a director, chairman and CEO of Pixar Animation Studios.
Always a controversial figure, Jobs has been among the most publicized,
loved, and hated of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. He has been credited
and blamed for a generation of successes and failures in the computer
industry. |
Johnson, Robert L. |
Robert Johnson is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the
cable television network Black Entertainment Television (BET) and,
as a result of that successful venture, the richest African American
in the United States. In 2000 BET became a property of Viacom Incorporated.
In December 2002 Johnson became the first African American to own
a major league sports franchise in the United States when he was awarded
a National Basketball Association franchise in Charlotte, North Carolina. |
Jordan, Vernon E., Jr. |
Born on August 15, 1935. Graduate of DePauw University and the Howard University Law School. Senior Managing Director of Lazard Frères
& Co. LLC in New York. He works with a diverse group of clients
across a broad range of industries. Prior to joining Lazard, Mr. Jordan
was a senior executive partner with the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss,
Hauer & Feld, L.L.P., where he remains Of Counsel. While there
Mr. Jordan practiced general, corporate, legislative and international
law in Washington, D.C. Before Akin Gump, Mr. Jordan held the following
positions: President and CEO of the National Urban
League, Inc.; Executive Director of the United Negro College Fund,
Inc.; Director of the Voter Education Project of the Southern Regional
Council; Attorney-Consultant, U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity;
Assistant to the Executive Director of the Southern Regional Council;
Georgia Field Director of the National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People, and an attorney in private practice in Arkansas
and Georgia. Mr. Jordan's presidential appointments include: the President's
Advisory Committee for the Points of Light Initiative Foundation;
the Secretary of State's Advisory Committee on South Africa; the Advisory
Council on Social Security; the Presidential Clemency Board; the American
Revolution Bicentennial Commission; the National Advisory Committee
on Selective Service; and the Council of the White House Conference
"To Fulfill These Rights." In 1992, Mr. Jordan served as
the Chairman of the Clinton Presidential Transition Team. Mr. Jordan's
corporate and other directorships include: America Online Latin America,
Inc.; American Express Company; Asbury Automotive Group, Inc.; Callaway
Golf Company; Clear Channel Communications, Inc.; Dow Jones &
Company, Inc.; Howard University (Trustee); J.C. Penney Company, Inc.;
Revlon, Inc.; Sara Lee Corporation; Shinsei Bank, Ltd. (Senior Advisor);
Xerox Corporation; International Advisory Board of DaimlerChrysler;
Fuji Bank and Barrick Gold. He holds honorary degrees from
more than 50 colleges and universities in America. He is a member
of the Bars of Arkansas, the District of Columbia, Georgia and the
U.S. Supreme Court. He is a member of the American Bar Association,
the National Bar Association and the Bilderberg Meetings. Member of the Trilateral Commission. Mr. Jordan
is Co-Chair of the Ad Council's Advisory Committee on Public Issues
and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In the late 1990s Jordan sat on the initial board of FirstMark Communications, together with Lynn Forester de Rothschild (founder), Evelyn de Rothschild, Henry Kissinger, Michael J. Price (former managing director Lazard), and Nathan Myhrvold (former CEO Microsoft). Close friend
and adviser of President Clinton. The Clintons spend Christmas Eve
with the Jordans and often visit them at their holiday home in the
island resort of Martha's Vineyard. In August 2004 the Clintons were present at a Martha's Vineyard party where Vernon Jordan and Sir Evelyn de Rothschild celebrated their birthdays together. Jordan was accused of aiding in a cover-up
of the President Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky. Ultimately, the allegations
that Jordan asked Lewinsky to lie to investigators and arranged a
job for her in New York in exchange for her silence were not addressed
in the report that Ken Starr delivered to Congress. According to the
BBC: Vernon Jordan is the ultimate Washington insider. He has
been called a "go-between", a "fixer-without-portfolio",
a "freelance hired gun". |
Karmazin, Mel |
Mel Karmazin was president and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of
Viacom beginning with the merger of Viacom and the CBS Corporation
in May 2000 and lasting until June 1, 2004, when he resigned. At the
time of his resignation, Karmazin did not mention other career plans.
During his earlier career, Karmazin ran Infinity Broadcasting –
a major radio station group – and served as president and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of CBS. As president and COO of Viacom, Karmazin
presides over one of the world’s largest media empires, which
includes among other assets CBS, MTV, UPN, Paramount Entertainment,
and Simon & Schuster. Before his abrupt resignation, Karmazin
was widely considered to be the heir apparent to Viacom’s chairmanship,
currently occupied by the company’s founder Sumner Redstone,
with whom Karmazin historically enjoyed a difficult relationship.
Karmazin was replaced immediately by Redstone with two Viacom executives,
Tom Freston, chief executive of Viacom's MTV Networks subsidiary,
and Leslie Moonves, chief executive of CBS, also a subsidiary. On
November 19, 2004, Sirius Satellite Radio announced that Mel Karmazin
would become its chief executive officer. The announcement came as
somewhat of a surprise since Karmazin had been quoted a few months
earlier as being doubtful about satellite radio's prospects. |
Katzenberg, Jeffrey |
Jeffrey Katzenberg rose through the ranks at Paramount Pictures
before assuming the chairmanship of Walt Disney Studios. During a
notable 10-year run, he teamed with Walt Disney Company chairman Michael
Eisner to put Disney – and feature-length animation –
back on the map. When Katzenberg’s relationship with Eisner
went sour, Katzenberg earned the nickname “the Katz that bit
the mouse” by successfully suing Disney in 1994; extracting
a massive severance package. He then teamed with industry heavyweights
Steven Spielberg and David Geffen to form DreamWorks SKG, the first
new Hollywood studio to be created since the 1930s. The only non-billionaire
among DreamWorks’ founders, Katzenberg is considered to be the
studio’s primary creative force. |
Kennard, Bill |
Stanford University and Yale Law School, partner in the Washington
law firm of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson & Hand, chairman
Federal Communications Commission (FCC), managing director of The
Carlyle Group and a director of The New York Times Company. |
Keough, Donald R. |
Director, president & CEO Coca-Cola, chairman Allen & Co.,
director H.J. Heinz Company, The Washington Post Company, USA Networks
Inc. and McDonald's Corporation, chairman Excalibur Technologies,
Trilateral Commission. The Keough Institute for Irish Studies and
the Keough-Notre Dame Centre in Dublin are both named in his honor.
Chairman of the Notre Dame University Board of Trustees. (Ireland) |
Kerkorian, Kirk |
Kirk Kerkorian is one of two dominant owners of Las Vegas hotels
and casinos (along with Steve Wynn) and the controlling shareholder
of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Incorporated (MGM), operator of the legendary
MGM Hollywood studios. Once acknowledged as the greatest studio in
the history of Hollywood, MGM was radically downsized following acquisition
by Kerkorian in 1970. A quiet and unassuming man, Kerkorian had been
adulated by the business community as a self-made billionaire who
adapted MGM to the competitive climate of the late 20th century. At
the same time, critics have reviled him as a takeover artist and the
destroyer of one of Hollywood’s most venerable entertainment
institutions. |
Knight, Philip |
Founder, chairman and CEO of Nike Inc. Owns two private jets and
is a billionaire. |
Kreisky, Peter |
Former CBS strategic planner. Now Chairman of Kreisky Media Consultancy (Boston). |
Laybourne, Geraldine B. |
Geraldine Laybourne became one of the most influential women in
television during her hugely successful tenure with children’s
cable TV network Nickelodeon, which she transformed during the 1980s
and 1990s from a noncommercial startup into one of the most important
and lucrative television brands. Following her appointment as vice-chairman
of Viacom’s MTV Networks and a brief tenure as vice-president
of Disney/ABC Television, Laybourne launched Oxygen Media in 2000
with an all-star group of partners and a design to transform women’s
television as she had done with children’s television. The network
struggled during its first years, in part because Oxygen’s founders
made a mistake Laybourne had avoided at Nickelodeon, treating their
clients like children. |
Leavitt, Michael |
Michael O. Leavitt was sworn in as the 20th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on January 26, 2005.
Prior to his current service, Leavitt served as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Governor of Utah. The people of Utah elected Mike Leavitt governor three times. Prior to leaving the statehouse to work in the Bush Administration, he was the nation's longest-serving governor. During his eleven years of service, Utah was recognized six times as one of America's best managed states. He was chosen by his peers as Chairman of the National Governors Association, Western Governors Association and Republican Governors Association because of his ability to solve problems across partisan lines. Utah's governor before President George W. Bush tapped him to head the Environmental Protection Agency, and now as Secretary of Health and Human Services. |
Lee, Debi |
Attended the 2005 meeting according to the Associated Press.
In 2005, she became a CEO of BET Holdings (Black Entertainment Television), a cable channel unit of Viacom Inc. Went with BET chairman Robert Johnson. |
Levin, Gerald M. |
Once rated the fourth most powerful person in the media, Gerald
Levin is the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AOL Time Warner
and of the pre-AOL merger Time Warner, Incorporated. Levin is best
known for pioneering the use of communication satellites to obtain
nationwide distribution of programming for Time Inc.’s Home
Box Office (HBO), and also as the architect of the 1990 merger between
Time Warner and America Online (AOL). Looked over the Turner acquisition
(owned CNN). Finally in 2000, he sold the firm to AOL Chairman Steve
Case. (owns Turner Broadcasting Systems, TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network,
and Turner Classic Movies. Member Trilateral Commission, member
Council on Foreign Relations. Member of the Chief Executive's Council of International Advisors of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, together with Paul Volcker, Andre Desmarais, Sir John Bond, Peter Sutherland, and Maurice R. Greenberg. |
Malone, John Custer |
Dr. John C. Malone is Chairman of Liberty Media Corporation, a position
he has held since 1990. From 1996 to March, 1999 when Tele-Communications,
Inc., (TCI) merged with AT&T Corp., he was also Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of TCI. Previous to that, from 1973 to 1996, Dr.
Malone served as President and CEO of TCI. He currently serves on
the Board of Directors for the Bank of New York, the CATO Institute,
Discovery Communications, Inc., UnitedGlobalCom, Inc., Cablevision
Systems Corporation, and The Nature Conservancy. Additionally, Dr.
Malone is Chairman Emeritus of the Board for Cable Television Laboratories,
Inc. and Chairman, CEO and President of Liberty Media International.
Born March 7, 1941, in Milford, Connecticut, Dr. Malone was a Phi
Beta Kappa and merit scholar at Yale University where he obtained
a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Economics in 1963.
He also received a Master of Science in Industrial Management from
Johns Hopkins in 1964 and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Operations
Research from Johns Hopkins in 1967. Dr. Malone began his career in
1963 at Bell Telephone Laboratories / AT&T in economic planning
and research and development. In 1968, he joined McKinsey & Company
and in 1970 he became Group Vice President at General Instrument Corporation
(GI). He was later named President of Jerrold Electronics, a GI subsidiary.
He served as Director of the National Cable Television Association
(NCTA) from 1974 to 1977 and again from 1980 to 1993. During the 1977-1978
term, Dr. Malone was the NCTA's Treasurer. |
Mays, Lowry |
Lowry Mays, the man Fortune magazine has labeled the “Big Daddy of radio,” is the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Clear Channel Communications, the largest U.S. chain of radio stations. Clear Channel's aggressive acquisitiveness and bottom line business practices have elicited opposition bordering on hatred from competitors, artists, and local radio advocates. Accordingly, Mays has come to be seen by critics as an evil emperor, bent on converting locally unique cultural offerings into Mall of America sameness. Mays has stated that he has no interest in radio content, but only in selling advertisements. |
Middelhoff, Thomas |
CEO of Bertelsmann. Bertelsmann doesn't have any debts, which is quite a contrast
with it's American competitors. He is a trustee of Atlantik-Brücke. |
Moonves, Leslie |
Leslie Moonves was named Co-President and Co-Chief Operating Officer
of Viacom in June 2004. In this role, he oversees all of Viacom's
domestic and international broadcast television operations, its radio
division and its outdoor advertising operations. Included in this
vast area of oversight are CBS, UPN, CBS Enterprises, King World,
the Viacom Television Stations Group, Paramount Television, Infinity
Broadcasting and Viacom Outdoor. In addition, Moonves continues to
serve as Chairman of CBS. He was promoted to Chairman and CEO of CBS
in 2003, and prior to that, was President and Chief Executive Officer,
CBS Television, a position he was elevated to in April 1998. He joined
CBS in July 1995 as President, CBS Entertainment. |
Moore, Gordon |
Gordon Moore is one of the two founders of Intel Corporation, and
a distinguished engineer and scientist who was responsible for a number
of major breakthroughs in semiconductor technology. Intel has been
a leading producer of microprocessors and other semiconductor devices
since the years immediately following the company's founding in 1968,
and by the mid-1990s had grown to be one of the most dominant and
important companies in the world. Moore served as Intel's President
and Chief Executive Officer of from 1975 until 1987, at which time
he was named Chairman Emeritus. |
Mondale, Walter Frederick |
Senator from Minnesota and Vice President of the United States;
born in Ceylon, Martin County, Minn., January 5, 1928; attended the
Heron Lake and Elmore, Minn., public schools; attended Macalester
College in St. Paul, Minn.; graduated from the University of Minnesota
in 1951; served in the United States Army 1951-1953; graduated from
the University of Minnesota Law School 1956; admitted to the Minnesota
bar in 1956 and commenced practice in Minneapolis; appointed and elected
attorney general of Minnesota in 1960 and reelected in 1962; member
of the President’s Consumer Advisory Council 1960-1964; appointed
on December 30, 1964, as a Democrat to the United States Senate to
fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Hubert H. Humphrey for
the term ending January 3, 1967; elected in 1966 for the term commencing
January 3, 1967; reelected in 1972 and served from December 30, 1964,
until his resignation December 30, 1976; chairman, Select Committee
on Equal Education Opportunity (Ninety-first and Ninety-second Congresses);
elected Vice President of the United States on the Democratic ticket
with President Jimmy Carter on November 2, 1976; inaugurated January
20, 1977, and served until January 20, 1981; unsuccessful Democratic
candidate for reelection; unsuccessful Democratic nominee for President
of the United States in 1984; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
to Japan, 1993-1996; unsuccessful Democratic candidate for the U.S.
Senate in 2002. |
Murdoch, Lachlan K. |
Lachlan Keith Murdoch (born 1971) is the son of media mogul, Rupert
Murdoch and is heir apparent of News Corporation. Lachlan was born
in London, but was raised in a wealthy Manhattan neighbourhood, where
his father owned the New York Post. He received his education at the
exclusive Aspen County Day School in Colorado and earned a bachelor’s
degree in philosophy from Princeton University. During summers he
would work jobs ranging from cleaning printing presses to sub-editor
at The Sun and The Times. His first job came at Queensland Newspapers,
which publishes The Courier-Mail in Brisbane. He then became publisher
of Australia’s first national paper, The Australian. In 1995
he was appointed Deputy CEO of News Limited, Executive Director of
News Corporation since 1996, Deputy Chief Operating Officer since
2000, Senior Executive Vice President from 1999 to 2000, and Chairman
of STAR since 1995. He has been criticised as a "rich brat"
for his "poor handling" of Murdoch interests in One.Tel,
which lost the empire millions of dollars. Lachlan has also been attacked
for trying to "Americanise" Australian newspapers. He is
also a publisher of the New York Post. |
Murdoch, Rupert Keith |
Australian-American publishing magnate with a personal fortune of
about 8 billion dollars. Combining sensationalist journalism (often
reflective of his generally hawkish, strongly conservative political
views) with aggressive promotion, Murdoch established a worldwide
communications empire, the News Corporation, that, among other assets,
includes powerful holdings in Australia and New Zealand; the prestigious
Times of London and other British papers; and, in the United States,
HarperCollins book publishers, the New York Post, and TV Guide. He
also acquired 20th Century Fox film studios and home video and built
the Fox Television network, as well as television stations in Australia.
His other communications ventures include direct-broadcast satellite
television and cable networks, and he has purchased broadcast rights
to major sports events in Britain, the United States, Australia, and
India. He became a U.S. citizen in 1985. One of the News Corporations
he owns is the UK's British Sky Broadcasting, of which he is a chairman.
Vice-chairman of that
company since 2003 is Lord Jacob Rothschild. Rupert has been a friend of Rothschild since he first came to the UK in the 1960s. Murdoch has also been a director of Philip
Morris and arms manufacturer United Technologies. |
Murphy, Thomas S. |
Thomas S. Murphy was chairman and chief executive officer (CEO)
of Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. from the time Capital Cities acquired
the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) until his retirement in 1996.
During his 30-year tenure with Capital Cities and ABC, Murphy led
the transition of a small television holding company and the nation's
number three broadcast network to the status of multinational media
conglomerate. Cap Cities/ABC was acquired by the Walt Disney Company
in 1996. |
Nardelli, Robert L. |
BSc in Business, Western Illinois University, MBA, University of
Louisville. 1971, joined GE; leadership positions in Appliances, Lighting
and Transportation Systems business units; 1988, joined Case Corporation
as Executive Vice-President and led the Worldwide Parts and Components
group; later, promoted to lead the Case Construction Equipment global
business; 1991, returned to GE as President and Chief Executive Officer,
Canadian Appliance Manufacturing Co. (CAMCO); 1992, President and
Chief Executive Officer, GE Transportation Systems, Erie, PA; 2000,
operational responsibility for Home Depot; 2002, Chairman of Board
of Directors. 2002, appointed to the Board of Directors, Coca-Cola.
2003, selected to serve on the President's Council on Service and
Civic Participation. Invited to join the Board of Councillors, Carter
Center. |
O'Donovan, Leo J. |
Fr. O'Donovan, 70, is President Emeritus of Georgetown University,
having served as President of the University from 1989 until 2001.
He has served on a number of higher education boards, including that
of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, and was
a member of the Steering Committee of Presidents for the America Reads
initiative. He also is a former member of the National Council on
the Arts of the National Endowment for the Arts, past chair of the
Consortium on Financing Higher Education and past president of the
Catholic Theological Society of America. He is a director of the Disney
Company. |
Ollila, Jorma J. |
Master of Political Science (University of Helsinki), Master of
Science (Econ.) (London School of Economics), Master of Science (Eng.)
(Helsinki University of Technology). President and CEO, Chairman of
the Group Executive Board of Nokia Corporation 1992-1999, President
of Nokia Mobile Phones 1990-1992, Senior Vice President, Finance of
Nokia 1986-1989. Holder of various managerial positions at Citibank
within corporate banking 1978-1985. Member of the Board of Directors
of Ford Motor Company and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors
of UPM-Kymmene Corporation and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors
of Otava Books and Magazines Group Ltd. Chairman of the Boards of
Directors and the Supervisory Boards of Finnish Business and Policy
Forum EVA and The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy ETLA.
Member of The European Round Table of Industrialists. |
Ovitz, Michael |
Once known as “the most powerful man in Hollywood,”
Michael Ovitz founded and headed Creative Artists Agency (CAA), one
of the film industry’s most powerful talent agencies with a
client list that would include some 150 directors, 130 actors, and
250 writers by the late 1980s. Ovitz’s extraordinary success
was built through a series of strategic moves that effectively broke
the unwritten laws of how the entertainment business should be conducted.
In late 1995, Ovitz surprised Hollywood insiders by accepting Michael
Eisner’s offer to become president of the Walt Disney Company,
only to leave the company 15 months later with a severance package
worth more than $100 million. |
Page, Lawrence "Larry" E. |
Larry E. Page is, as of March 2005, the President of Products of Google Inc. Together with Sergey Brin he founded google. As of 2004, both have an estimated fortune of about 7 billion dollars. |
Parsons, Richard D. |
Undergraduate studies at the University of Hawaii; legal training,
Albany Law School, Union University. Formerly: various positions in
state and federal service; Counsel for Nelson Rockefeller; Senior
White House Aide under President Ford; Managing Partner, Patterson,
Belknap, Webb & Tyler, New York; Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer, Dime Bancorp. Since 1991, Member of the Board of Directors
and 1995, became President, Time Warner. Currently, Chief Executive
Officer, Time Warner. Member of the Board: Citigroup; Estee Lauder;
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation; Lincoln Center; Museum of Modern
Art; Howard University. Chairman: Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone
Development Corporation; Apollo Theatre Foundation. 2001, appointed
Co-Chairman, President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security.
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Time Warner Inc. Director of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, together with four former U.S. presidents, Maurice R. Greenberg, Henry R. Kravis (Bohemian Grove), David Rockefeller, Jerry I. Speyer (big Rockefeller guy), John C. Whitehead (photographed standing behind Lord Rothschild and Kissinger; likely Pilgrim), Anne M. Tatlock (gone from her WTC on the morning on 9/11), Sir John Bond (HSBC; Multinaltional Chairman's Group), Michael Eisner (Sun Valley Meetings), and Peter G. Peterson(chair Blackstone Group; chair NY Fed; chair CFR). |
Perelman, Ronald O. |
Ronald O. Perelman is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MacAndrews
& Forbes Holdings, a diversified holding company with interests
in consumer products, entertainment, financial services, biotechnology
and gaming. Among the principal interests of MacAndrews & Forbes
are: Revlon, Inc., Panavision, Inc., Allied Security, TransTech Pharma,
Scientific Games Corporation, Marvel Entertainment (Toy Biz, Fleer
trading cards and Marvel comic books), the Coleman Company (outdoor
recreation equipment), New World Communications Group (10 television
stations), Mafco Worldwide (flavors), Meridian Sports (water sports,
including Boston Whaler boats), First Nationwide Bank (multistate
banking), National Health Laboratories (clinical diagnostic-testing
laboratories) and Consolidated Cigar Corporation (cigars). These days,
Perelman's efforts are focused on building a television-broadcasting
empire. The New York Department of Dermatology was named in his after
a generous gift in 1991. Perelman has a personal fortune of about
5 billion dollars and is a friend of John Bongiovi. Offended Allen
by hiring locals and body guards to protect him. |
Perenchio, Jerry |
Jerry Perenchio, who runs Univision Communications Inc., has an
iron grip on America's 40 million Hispanics. From a single Spanish-language
TV station, he has put together a media colossus whose networks outdraw
the big U.S. networks among 18-to-49-year-olds in prime time. Univision
draws more young viewers in prime time than MTV and more men than
ESPN, according to Nielsen. And in Hispanic-rich markets such as Los
Angeles, Miami, and Phoenix, it often beats English-language rivals
to snare the younger viewers advertisers crave. Perenchio has added
music labels and TV stations. Last year, he paid $3.4 billion for
Hispanic Broadcasting, making Univision the nation's largest Spanish
radio company. The most powerful mogul in Spanish TV distrusts the
media, rarely gives interviews, and doesn't even speak Spanish. He's
a jet-hopping, 73-year-old former boxing promoter who pals around
with George Bush (41 and 43) and lives in the sprawling Bel Air (Calif.)
mansion featured in the 1960s sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies. He loves
throwing lavish parties -- once he even flew in Henry Mancini and
Andy Williams to perform at his son's 1981 wedding. Still, to most
people in Hollywood, where as a talent agent he once championed the
careers of Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando, Jerry Perenchio is
an enigma. |
Peretsman, Nancy B. |
Executive vice president and manager director, Allen & Co. Nancy
is a director of Charter Communications, the fourth largest cable
company in the United States, Narad Networks, and Priceline, in which
she was an original investor. Before she came to Allen & Co. she
was employed at Salomon's. When she decided to leave, Warren Buffett
(major shareholder of Solomon's) tried to convince her to stay, until
he heard she went to Allen & Company. |
Pollack, Sydney |
Producer of movies like 'The Firm', 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' &
'Cold Mountain'. Winner of year 2000 John Huston Award, presented
by Tom Cruise on behalf of Directors Guild of America, as a "defender
of artists' rights...a warrior." |
Redstone, Sumner |
Acquired Viacom in 1987, which owns CBS Television Network, MTV,
Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, VH1, Black Entertainment Television, Paramount
Pictures, Infinity Broadcasting, Viacom Outdoor, UPN, TV Land, Comedy
Central, CMT: Country Music Television, King World, Spike TV, Showtime,
and Simon & Schuster. He is often described as 'self absorbed'
and has had conflicts with other Sun Valley guests like Barry Diller
and Frank Biondi. Founding member of the American Cancer Foundation.
Privately, he also gives to the United Jewish Appeal. Has a personal
fortune of about 8 billion dollars. |
Roberts, Brian |
Since the age of 30, Brian Roberts has been President and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of Comcast Corporation, the world's largest
cable television company. Comcast became the world's largest cable
operator with the acquisition of industry leader AT&T Broadband
in December 2002. Roberts is perhaps best known for his ability to
spot business opportunity, to "zero in" aggressively in
pursuit of a new acquisition, and to negotiate a favorable agreement.
Brian credits his mastery of these and other skills to his father
and mentor; Comcast founder Ralph Roberts. The father-son team that
runs Comcast is a unique and respected institution in American business. |
Robinson, James D., III |
James D. Robinson III has been a Director of the Company (First
Data) since April 1992 and a Director of eONE Global General Partner
II, LLC, a majority-owned subsidiary of the Company, since December
2002. He is a General Partner and co-founder of RRE Ventures, a private
information technology venture investment firm. Mr. Robinson previously
served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and as a Director of
American Express from 1977 until February 1993. He is a Director of
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, The Coca-Cola Company, Novell, Inc.,
Pinnacor, Inc. First Data, and several privately owned companies.
Mr. Robinson is a member of the Business Council, the Council on Foreign
Relations and the Committee for Economic Development. He is Honorary
Co-Chairman of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, an honorary
Trustee of the Brookings Institution and Chairman Emeritus of the
World Travel and Tourism Council Institution. He is invited every
year. |
Rutherfurd, James |
Rutherfurd heads the investment banking group of Veronis Suhler Stevenson, a merchant bank specializing in the media industry, and is a senior principal with the company's VS&A Communications Partners III fund. He also manages the VSS Focus Program, which looks for deals that Veronis Suhler Stevenson can take part in; he has closed more than $28 billion in media transactions, according to the bank. Before Veronis Suhler Stevenson hired Rutherfurd in January 1999, he was a managing director in JP Morgan's mergers and acquisitions group and co-head of the company's media group. Rutherfurd has a law degree from the University of Virginia and a bachelor's degree from Princeton University. |
Saban, Haim |
Egyptian-born Israeli Haim Saban emigrated to the U.S. to join the
major league of media moguls, primarily on the strength of Mighty
Morphin Power Rangers, a phenomenally popular television series (and
line of licensed products). Saban began his career as Israel’s,
and then France’s leading music promoter/manager before founding
Saban Entertainment in Los Angeles. In the late 1990s he launched
cable network Fox Family Worldwide in partnership with News Corporation
chairman Rupert Murdoch. Although Fox Family flopped in the ratings,
the network was sold to Disney for more than $5 billion, making Saban
a billionaire and funding his subsequent series of bold moves to acquire
media assets in Europe. |
Sassa, Scott |
President of NBC Entertainment Organization. Before joining NBC,
he worked for Ronald Perelman's Andrews Group, where he was CEO of
Marvel Entertainment, an Andrews Group subsidiary. Before that he
spent nine years at Turner Broadcasting System (CNN), and before that
he was vice president of network management for Fox Broadcasting,
where he worked for Barry Diller. |
Sawyer, Diane |
Administrator of the White House press office 1970-1974, researcher
for Richard Nixon's memoirs 1974-1978, CBS' U.S. State Department
correspondent, correspondent CBS Evening News 1978-1981, co-anchor
CBS Morning News 1981-1984, co-anchor CBS' Early Morning
News 1982-1984, correspondent and co-editor of 60 Minutes
1984-1989, co-anchor of ABC's Prime Time Live since 1989,
co-anchor of ABC's Good Morning America since 1999. Member
Council on Foreign Relations. She is a longtime friend of Herb Allen.
Sawyer reported live from Ground Zero during the week of Sept. 11.
She returned to Afghanistan to reunite the women profiled in her 1996
report from behind the burqua, as one of the first Western journalists
to expose the plight of women under Taliban rule. Her interviews include
President George W. Bush in his first national interview; Saddam Hussein,
the first Western television interview granted by the Iraqi president
for nearly a decade; President Fidel Castro; Robert MacNamara's public
apology on Vietnam; Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, the convicted
Mafia member who turned against the Gambino crime family and his boss,
John Gotti; Ellen DeGeneres, who announced her homosexuality; ousted
Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega's first interview from prison; Michael
Jackson and his then-wife Lisa Marie Presley's only interview; Michael
J. Fox's interview about Parkinson's disease and the decision to leave
his show; and former first lady Nancy Reagan on President Reagan's
battle with Alzheimer's disease and their 50-year marriage. She also
had the first interview at home with the Clintons after the 1992 presidential
election. Sawyer is also an award-winning investigative journalist,
on topics ranging from biological weapons production in Russia to
daycare abuse. She brought American viewers a shocking report on the
warehousing of Russian children in state-run orphanages; a diary of
life inside a maximum security prison for women, where Sawyer spent
two days and nights; an investigation into the neglect and abuse at
state-run institutions for the mentally retarded; and a landmark investigation
into pharmacy prescription errors. |
Schneider, John A. |
Managing director Allen & Co., chairman Buoniconti Fund to Cure
Paralysis, director Andre Agassi Foundation. A John A. Schneider has
been a president of the CBS Broadcasting group until 1977. Not sure
if it's the same person. |
Scott, H. Lee, Jr. |
H. Lee Scott, Jr. has served as President and Chief Executive Officer
of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. since January 2000. Lee joined Wal-Mart in
1979 in the company's logistics and transportation area, and he worked
in that area in a series of progressive positions for the first 16
years of his Wal-Mart career. He served as Director of Transportation,
Vice President of Distribution, and Senior Vice President of Logistics
during that time. Lee was promoted to Executive Vice President of
Logistics in 1993. In 1995, Lee was named Executive Vice President
of Merchandise and Sales for the Wal-Mart Stores Division. In 1998,
he was named President and Chief Executive Officer of the Wal-Mart
Stores Division, and in 1999, he became Chief Operating Officer and
Vice Chairman of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. During Lee's tenure in logistics
and transportation, Wal-Mart's program drew increasing respect as
one of the best of its kind in business. Working with his merchandise
team during his time in that area, Scott also was instrumental in
driving improvement in inventory levels and merchandise flow in the
stores. Prior to joining Wal-Mart, Lee worked with two companies in
the freight and transportation area, Yellow Freight System and Queen
City Warehouse. Lee is a graduate of Pittsburg State University (Kansas)
with a bachelor's degree in business. Lee also has completed executive
development programs at Penn State University and Columbia University. |
Semel, Terry |
Since May 2001, Terry Semel has served as the chairman and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of Yahoo! Inc., a leading provider of online
services. As “Chief Yahoo,” Semel has engineered what
Business Week characterized as “one of the most remarkable revivals
of a beleaguered dot-com.” During the last 24 years of the 20th
century, Semel served (with Robert Daly) as co-chairman and co-Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of Warner Brothers, and was credited with
transforming the company from an ageing movie studio into a diversified
media conglomerate generating more than $10 billion annually from
diverse operations in more than 50 countries. In 1999, Terry Semel,
then co-CEO of Warner Bros, met Yahoo! Inc co-founder Jerry Yang at
the Allen & Co retreat. Two years later, Semel was hired to run
Yahoo. |
Sharer, Kevin |
Kevin Sharer was named chief executive officer of Amgen Inc., the world's largest biotechnology company, in 2000 and chairman of the board in 2001. He joined Amgen in 1992 as president, chief operating officer and member of the board of directors. Under Sharer's guidance, the company has grown considerably, completing biotech's largest acquisition, launching new products, building its customer base, and adding thousands of employees. Before joining Amgen, Sharer was executive vice president and president of the Business Markets division at MCI Communications. Prior to working with MCI, he served in a variety of executive roles at General Electric and was a consultant for McKinsey & Company. Sharer serves on the board of directors for 3M, UNOCAL and the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation. Since 2003, he also sits on the board of directors at Northrop Grunman. He is chairman of the board of trustees of the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History and a member of The Business Council. |
Shuman, Stanley |
At 61, managing director Stanley Shuman is a 35-year veteran of
Allen & Co. Shuman is one of media magnate Rupert Murdoch's closest
advisers, and he's close to wealthy Manhattan real estate developer
Bernard Mendik. Shuman is no shrinking violet, and his large ego is
a source of amusement to some of his colleagues. |
Spielberg, Steven |
The most famous brand name in moviemaking since Walt Disney, Steven
Spielberg broke into Hollywood at a very young age, directed and/or
produced many of the biggest box-office hits of the last three decades,
and opened the first successful new movie studio in Los Angeles since
the mid-1930s. Spielberg is the wealthiest filmmaker in history and
renowned throughout the industry as the toughest of negotiators. While
the Spielberg Legend can be recited by film fans and students around
the world, the sheer enormity of his popular achievements continue
to obscure an important fact: Steven Spielberg is one of the all-time
great film directors. Co-founder of Dreamworks. |
Stark, Ray |
Influential and prolific film producer who made more than 125 films,
including Funny Girl and Steel Magnolias. Died in 2004. First introduced
Herbert Allen to the Sun Valley. |
Stern, David J. |
David Stern has been the commissioner of the National Basketball Association since February 1, 1984. Mr. Stern began his association with the NBA in 1966 as outside counsel, joined the NBA in 1978 as general counsel and became the league's executive vice president in 1980. In addition to being chairman of the board of trustees at Columbia University, Mr. Stern currently serves on the boards of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, the Rutgers University Foundation, the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund, the Museum of Television and Radio, and Jazz at Lincoln Center. He is also a member of the Reading is Fundamental Advisory Council and the Board of Associates of Gallaudet University. |
Strauss, Robert S. |
Robert Strauss became Chairman of the Board of the U.S.-Russia Business
Council in January 1993. He is a Partner at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer
& Feld, L.L.P. In August 1991, Mr. Strauss was sworn in as U.S.
Ambassador to the Soviet Union. Following the dissolution of the Soviet
Union, he in turn became U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation.
In November 1992, he resigned from the Foreign Service to rejoin his
law firm. Mr. Strauss served as a Special Agent in the FBI after receiving
his law degree from the University of Texas. In January 1946, he entered
private law practice and founded the firm that became Akin, Gump,
Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P., with offices in Texas, Washington,
Brussels, and Moscow. Mr. Strauss served as Chairman of the Democratic
National Committee from 1973 to 1976. He served as Chairman of President
Carter's election campaign in 1976, and then in President Carter's
Cabinet as Special Trade Representative. Over the next two-and-a-half
years, Mr. Strauss successfully concluded the Tokyo Round of Multilateral
Trade Negotiations and directed its passage through Congress, culminating
in the Trade Act of 1979. Following the completion of the trade agreements,
President Carter asked Mr. Strauss to serve as his Personal Representative
to the Middle East peace negotiations. In 1981, Mr. Strauss was awarded
the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award.
A popular lecturer, he speaks extensively across the country and abroad
and has authored numerous articles for professional journals, newspapers
and magazines. Director of Archer Daniels Midland, Xerox, and many
other companies. He previously held the Lloyd Bentsen Chair at the
LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, where he
has lectured at the School of Law and the Graduate School of Business.
Member of the Alfalfa Club, Council on Foreign Relations, Trilateral
Commission, and a trustee for the Center for Strategic & International
Studies. Strauss is a friend of Herbert Allen |
Stringer, Howard |
BA; MA in Modern History, Oxford Univ., UK. Thirty years with CBS:
1976-81, Exec. Producer, CBS Reports; 1981-84, Exec. Producer, CBS
Evening News; 1984-86, Vice-President and 1986-88, President, CBS
News; 1988-95, President, CBS Broadcast Grp. 1995-97, Chairman and
CEO, Tele-TV, USA. Since 1997, current position and Chairman, Sony
Canada. Member of the Board of Directors: SCA; Sony Electronics; Sony
Music; Sony Pictures; 1999, Sony Corp. Member of the Board, Sony Europe.
Vice-Chairman, American Film Inst. Member of the Board of Trustees,
Museum of Television and Radio. Trustee, American Women in Radio and
Television. Director, Motion Picture & Television Fund Foundation.
Director or Member of the Board of Governors of several organizations.
Recipient of numerous awards, honours and January 2000, awarded Knighthood
by Queen Elizabeth II. Goes to DAVOS. |
Tenet, George John |
Jesuit Georgetown University - School of Foreign Service - Bachelor's degree
1976, Columbia University - School of International Affairs - Master's
degree 1978, staff director of the Senate Committee on Intelligence
1988-1993, National Security Council staff 1993-1995, deputy director
of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) 1995-1996. CIA director 1996-2004.
Went to the Sun Valley meeting in 2003, giving a private intelligence
briefing. Announced his resignation for personal reasons and "the
well-being of his family" on 3 June 2004. Chairman United
States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation. Invited in 2005 as a member of the panel on terrorism. Former anchor of NBC Tom Brokaw (CFR) and New York Times / Foreign Affairs columnist Thomas Friedman (CFR) were the other members of the panel. The panel was established, because at the start of the conference there were terrorrist attacks in London. After his resignation as the DCI he became a professor at Georgetown University. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) presented Tenet with its highest honor, the America's Democratic Legacy Award, in 2005. |
Turner, Robert E. "Ted" |
Robert Edward (Ted) Turner III is the charismatic and controversial
founder of Turner Broadcasting Systems (TBS) and Cable News Network
(CNN). TBS (currently a division of AOL Time Warner) was a pioneer
cable network that grew to become one of the world's most successful
broadcasting and media conglomerates. Turner has become known for
a flamboyant and outspoken personal style that has earned him nicknames
such as "Captain Outrageous," and "the Mouth from the
South." Vice-chairman of AOL Time Warner. Donated to the Lucis
Trust. His words about the Sun Valley Meetings after he stopped going
and subsequently wasn't invited anymore: "I guess I made
it known that I found it too boring hanging around all those people."
In 1996, Turner apologized to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
for comments he made comparing FOX head Rupert Murdoch to Hitler.
In 1997, Turner announced that he will donate $1 billion over the next decade to United Nations programs. In 2004 Ted Turner called FOX an arm of the Bush administration and
compared FOXNEWS’s popularity to Hitler’s popular election
to run Germany before WWII. |
Vigil, Henry 'Hank' P. |
Senior vice president of Consumer Strategy and Partnerships at Microsoft. Vigil is responsible for developing Microsoft's consumer strategy.
Before he held this position, Vigil was senior director of Strategy Planning and Business Development for the Digital Television Group at Microsoft, responsible for the development of Microsoft's digital TV strategy.
Previously Vigil was general manager of the Internet Commerce Business Unit, where he drove the acquisition of eShop Inc., and general manager of the Interactive Television Business Unit, where he redirected Microsoft's development efforts toward the emerging Internet market. From 1990 to 1995, as director of marketing for Desktop Applications, he was responsible for overall marketing and business strategy for Microsoft Office, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. |
Walker, Jay S. |
Founder of the online business (Priceline.com)that lets users name
their price for plane tickets, hotel rooms and mortgages. Also responsible
for reviving career of William (Captain Kirk) Shatner, star of Priceline's
unsettling television ads. With copycat Web sites cropping up, trying
to patent Priceline's "business model." Has patents on scores
of other ideas through his R&D lab, Walker Digital. Launched online
bargaining platform for gasoline and groceries through Priceline subsidiary
WebHouse Club. This year sold options for 8 million Priceline shares
to Paul Allen's Vulcan Ventures and John Malone's Liberty Digital
for $190 million. Also gearing up for the IPO of Synapse Group--a
marketing firm for magazine publishers he cofounded in 1991. Yonkers,
N.Y. native has seen net worth tumble 62% since last year, but still
rich enough to collect misprinted U.S. currency and space memorabilia.
Has a personal fortune of about 1.6 billion. |
Wang, Charles B. |
Founder, chairman and CEO of Computer Associates International
Inc. (CA). He was born in Shanghai, but moved to Queens, NY when he
was eight years old. |
Wilpon, Fred |
Co-founder and chairman of Sterling Equities and chairman and chief executive officer of the New York Mets.
He bought the New York Mets in 2002 for $391 million. |
Winfrey, Oprah |
Oprah Winfrey, the star of the nationally and internationally syndicated
talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show, has built her celebrity into a sizeable
media empire under the banner of her private company, Harpo Entertainment.
Named as one of the 100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century
by Time magazine, Winfrey’s influence extends well beyond her
financial reach and viewership numbers. Her relationship with her
audience at once embodies fanatical loyalty and casual intimacy, making
Winfrey perhaps the public figure with the most profound affect on
the lives of those who watch her show. |
Whitman, Margaret C. |
Since becoming Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of pioneer online auctioneer
eBay in 1998, Meg Whitman has masterminded one of the most successful
IPOs in history, guided the company’s international expansion,
and overseen continuing profitability and expansion in the post-Internet
bubble period. In the face of economic recession and competitive challenges
launched by Amazom.com, Yahoo!, and Lycos, Whitman has sustained eBay’s
leadership and, as a result, remains the czarina of Net auctions. |
Wright, Robert C. |
Robert C. Wright is the chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
of the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). He was named to the head
post when General Electric (GE) bought the Radio Corporation of America
(RCA), the previous owner of NBC. Wright is best known for transforming
NBC from a narrowly focused broadcast network to a global media conglomerate.
His tenure as NBC head has been the longest since that of broadcast
pioneer, David Sarnoff. Following the 2003 announcement that NBC would
merge with Vivendi Universal Entertainment (VUE), owner of Universal
Pictures and the USA Network, Wright was appointed to head the merged
company, NBC Universal. |
Yang, Jerry |
Jerry Yang is the young Taiwanese-born, Stanford-educated co-founder
and "Head-Yahoo" (his official title) of Yahoo! Inc., purveyors
of the Web’s most visited site, Yahoo.com. In their own version
of the iconic Silicon Valley success story, Yang and Yahoo! co-founder
David Filo were a couple of computer-obsessed college students who
spent late nights among stacks of pizza boxes working on an original
idea. Their efforts created a new institution, the Internet portal,
and earned billions for Yahoo!’s founders when the company’s
stock was taken public. |
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