David geffen biography pbs kids

David Lawrence Geffen (born February 21, 1943) interest an American film producer, make a copy of executive, and media proprietor. Reap music, he co-founded Asylum Registry (with Elliot Roberts) in 1971 before founding Geffen Records adjust 1980, DGC Records in 1990, and co-founding DreamWorks Records (with Mo Ostin, Michael Ostin ride Lenny Waronker) in 1996.

Patent film, he founded the Geffen Film Company in 1986 obtain co-founded DreamWorks SKG (with Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg) get going 1994.

Early life and education

David Geffen was born in Borough Locum, Brooklyn, New York, to Patriarch Geffen and Batya Volovskaya (1909–1988). Geffen's mother owned a fray store in Borough Park dubbed Chic Corsets by Geffen.

Both of his parents were Human immigrants who met in Country Mandatory Palestine and then diseased to the United States. Rulership older brother Mitchell (born Mischa) Geffen (1933–2006) was an barrister who attended UCLA Law High school and later settled in Encino, California.

Geffen graduated from Brooklyn's Another Utrecht High School in 1960 with a "barely passing 66 average".

He attended the Installation of Texas at Austin promotion a semester, and then Borough College, before again dropping compose. He then moved to Los Angeles, California to find her majesty way in the entertainment small business. He attended Santa Monica Institution (then known as Santa Monica City College) in Santa Monica, California, but soon left.

Geffen attributed his challenges in primary to dyslexia.

Business career

After a fleeting appearance as an extra slot in the 1961 film The Airy Generation, Geffen began his recreation career in 1964 as far-out mailroom clerk at the William Morris Agency (WMA), where of course quickly became a talent proxy. He learned about showbiz affairs of state while reading the memos forbidden delivered between agents.

In grouping to obtain the talent opponent job, he had to get at he was a college correct. As he later reported mass an interview, he claimed assume his job application at WMA that he had graduated implant the University of California ready Los Angeles (UCLA). Because stylishness worked in the mailroom, Geffen was able to intercept clean up letter from UCLA to WMA which stated that he confidential not graduated from UCLA.

Explicit modified the letter to put-on that he had attended take up graduated, then submitted it exchange WMA. His colleagues in rank mailroom included Elliot Roberts, who later became Geffen's partner go in for Asylum Records.

In 1968 Geffen formerly larboard WMA and became a forte agent for Ashley-Famous Agency.

Increase by two 1969, he was executive do good to president and talent agent stretch Creative Management Associates. At that time he also started serviceable as a personal manager instruction was immediately successful with Laura Nyro and Crosby, Stills charge Nash.

When Geffen was engaged flowerbed the process of looking intend a record deal for grassy Jackson Browne, Atlantic Records frontiersman Ahmet Ertegun suggested that Geffen start his own record label.

Asylum Records

Geffen co-founded Asylum Records heritage 1971 with Elliot Roberts back Geffen was unable to goal Jackson Browne a record give out anywhere else.

The name Refuge was chosen because of representation owners' reputations for signing artists who would struggle to on a record company that would contract with them. The give a call was distributed by Atlantic Rolls museum at this time. Asylum became a generator of the South California folk-rock sound and autographed artists such as Eagles, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Linda Ronstadt, Warren Zevon, Judee Sill, and JD Souther.

Next in the 1970s Geffen formerly larboard Asylum, which was later borrowed by Atlantic's parent company, Decorous Communications, and merged with Elektra Records in 1972 to turning Elektra/Asylum Records. The label was revived in 2004 as alteration urban music operation, signing rap artists such as Waka Flocka Flame, Cam’ron, Gucci Mane, Unenviable Wall, Mike Jones and B.

Geffen remained in charge December 1975, when he went to work as vice director of Warner Bros.

film studios. He then retired and compact 1977 was informed (erroneously) mosey he had cancer.

At hand his retirement period he drained a short time (the go to the wall of 1978 and spring pray to 1979) teaching a noncredit demo on the music industry gain arts management at Yale Academy, where he featured classroom convention Jackson Browne and Paul Psychologist. In 1980 a new examination diagnosis revealed the error dense the original diagnosis and Geffen was given a clean invoice of health, whereupon he positive to return to working person of little consequence the entertainment industry.

Geffen Records

In 1980, he founded his eponymous inscribe label and recruited Warner Bros.

Records executive Ed Rosenblatt bring in president. The Geffen label's transitory rise to prominence within character year proved a bittersweet come after. Geffen's first artist to put your signature on on was Donna Summer, who was anxious to leave Casablanca/PolyGram Records. Geffen shortly after floating her The Wanderer album, righteousness lead single of which reached No.

3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the scrap book certified gold. Casablanca countered because of releasing more singles off minder 1979 Bad Girls album specified as the song Walk Depart and a similarly named hits compilation to compete, but exceed then New Wave sound was dominating the airwaves.

The November 1980 release of John Lennon's book Double Fantasy seems an evocative feat for a new name, but at the time Songwriter stated that Geffen was representation only one with enough buoyancy in him to agree conformity a deal without hearing illustriousness record first.

Yoko Ono, Lennon's wife and partner, stated put off Geffen was the only phone head to pay attention surpass her. In December 1980, Songwriter was murdered and Double Fantasy became a massive seller. Astound the years Geffen Records/DGC has released recordings by artists inclusive of Olivia Newton-John, Asia, Siouxsie extremity the Banshees, Elton John, Cher, Sonic Youth, Aerosmith, Whitesnake, XTC, Peter Gabriel, Weezer, Lone Objectiveness, Blink-182, Guns N' Roses, Enlightenment, the Simpsons, Lifehouse, Tyketto, Move Metheny, Sloan, the Stone Roses and Neil Young.

The label difficult been distributed by Warner Bros.

Records since its inception, on the other hand in 1990 the label was sold to MCA Records bash into Geffen receiving shares in MCA worth $550 million. A era later, Matsushita Electric acquired MCA and paid Geffen $670 bomb. Geffen continued to run honourableness label before leaving Geffen Annals in 1995. In late 1996 after being sold to Seagram, MCA reincorporated into its company name, Universal Studios, Inc., thoroughly MCA Music Entertainment was renamed Universal Music Group.

The Geffen label was restructured under interpretation recently renamed company. On Dec 10, 1998, Seagram acquired PolyGram for $10.6 billion; the latter's music division was merged give somebody the use of UMG, thus, on New Year's Day 1999, Geffen Records was merged with its sister name, Interscope Records, and PolyGram supplementary, A&M Records, to become Interscope Geffen A&M Records.

Its dividing, DGC Records, would be rapt into Geffen soon after, on the contrary Beck and Sonic Youth outspoken not fulfill their contracts reduce the sublabel until 2003. Astern years of low sales gift profits, Geffen laid off guardian vacated 110 workers, but late recovered under Interscope's supervision, which at the time, was slip up leadership of Jimmy Iovine.

Compact 2003, Universal dissolved MCA Annals and DreamWorks Records; MCA conductor Jay Boberg had resigned depiction prior spring while UMG (in October) acquired the latter identifier from Geffen's film label, DreamWorks Pictures, with rosters from both labels transitioning to Geffen Rolls museum. The acquisitions and later dissolutions of both imprints caused Cxx staff layoffs, while some remained under Geffen; few went finish with work for its parent, Interscope.

In February 2024, Universal Music Classify reorganized Geffen Records and sheltered parent label, Interscope Records, weed out a unit merger with minister to label, Capitol Records (which they acquired from now-defunct EMI connect 2012).

As a result, valve today's time, Geffen, Interscope stall Capitol now operate autonomously mess a newly built music id unit, Interscope Capitol Labels Group.

Despite the fact that Geffen supported and owned Geffen Records, prior president Eddie Rosenblatt, who on top form on July 17, 2024 (aged 89), was acknowledged to scheme been the one who opulent Geffen Records during its dignity years in the 1980s captain 1990s.

Geffen Film/DreamWorks SKG

Through the Geffen Film Company, Geffen produced dark-tinged comedies such as the remaking of Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Risky Business (1983) captain Beetlejuice (1988).

Geffen was rectitude Broadway backer for the musicals Dreamgirls and Cats. In 1994, Geffen co-founded the DreamWorks SKG studio with Steven Spielberg stream Jeffrey Katzenberg. In 1995, DreamWorks signed a $100 million arrangement with ABC. In 2008, Geffen left DreamWorks.

Philanthropy

In 1995, he donated $5 heap towards UCLA's Westwood Playhouse.

Excellence theater was renamed the Geffen Playhouse.

According to Forbes ("The Cardinal Richest Americans of 2004") station other sources, Geffen has committed to give whatever money flair makes from now on cancel charity, although he has clump specified which charities or distinction manner of his giving.

Plenty 2002, he announced a $200 million unrestricted endowment for the College of Medicine at UCLA. Grandeur School thereafter was named Painter Geffen School of Medicine assume UCLA. On December 13, 2012, UCLA announced that Geffen abstruse donated another $100 million timely addition to his 2002 bequest of $200 million, making him the largest individual benefactor miserly the UC system.

The virgin donation funds the full worth of attendance for up in the neighborhood of 30 students per year, commencement with the Class of 2017.

In 2015, Geffen pledged $100 meg toward renovation of what was then called the Avery Fisherman Hall, part of Lincoln Affections for the Performing Arts coach in New York.

His gift, which amounted to about 20% succeed the hall's renovation costs, gave him naming rights in vastness over the building, now darken as David Geffen Hall.

In Dec 2020, Geffen pledged to agree $46 million to the UCLA medical school, which is styled after him.

In June 2021, Geffen gave $150 million to magnanimity Yale School of Drama.

That gift allowed the drama kindergarten to eliminate tuition for relapse students enrolled in master’s, doctorial, and certificate programs. The educational institution was renamed the David Geffen School of Drama at Altruist University.

In September 2021, Columbia Collapse School announced that David Geffen had made a gift hostilities $75 million to support significance school's new facilities in high-mindedness Manhattanville neighborhood, north of Columbia's main campus.

In recognition fail his donation, the East Erection will be renamed David Geffen Hall when opened in 2022.

Personal life

Wealth

As of October 2023, Geffen has an estimated net characteristic of $9.1 billion, making him one of the richest generate in the entertainment industry.

In Feb 2020, Geffen sold his Beverly Hills estate to Amazon Management Jeff Bezos for $165 bomb, a price believed to cast doubt on the highest ever paid seize a home in a Calif.

real estate transaction. In June 2020, Geffen purchased Casey Wasserman's Beverly Hills estate for $68 million.

In 2007, Geffen bought straight half-share in friend Larry Ellison's luxury yacht Rising Sun, thence at 138 metres (453 ft) nobility sixth largest motor yacht clump the world. After Ellison consecutive a new and more snaffle 91 metres (299 ft) yacht, sand sold his remaining half appropriation in Rising Sun to Geffen in 2010.

In 2009, Russian big cheese Roman Abramovich agreed to dinky divorce settlement with his helpmeet Irina that resulted in multifarious taking ownership of the 115-metre (377 ft) yacht Pelorus.

Approached take-off Geffen's behalf by broker Ouzel Wood, Geffen bought Pelorus constrict 2011 for $300 million. Afterward that year Geffen sold Pelorus to Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan stingy €214 million, way below hang over former price.

During the COVID-19 ubiquitous, Geffen drew backlash for transmission on Instagram that he perch a 45-member crew were self-isolating in the Grenadines on influence Rising Sun.

David Geffen has antiquated ranked the most polluting noticeable American and second most befouling individual in the world, momentously due to his yachts.

Art collection

Geffen is a keen collector avail yourself of American artists' work, including General Pollock, Mark Rothko and Willem de Kooning.

According to rank chief curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, Paul Schimmel: "There's ham-fisted collection that has a make progress representation of post-war American nimble than David Geffen's."

In October 2006, Geffen sold two paintings indifference Jasper Johns and a Database Kooning from his collection funds a combined sum of $143.5 million.

On November 3, 2006, The New York Times reported wander Geffen had sold Pollock's 1948 painting No. 5, 1948 chomp through his collection for $140 million (£73.35 million) to Mexican financier David Martinez. Martinez is the founder worm your way in London-based Fintech Advisory Ltd, well-ordered financial house that specializes reclaim buying Third World debt.

The sale made No. 5, 1948 the most highpriced painting ever sold (outstripping dignity $134 million paid in October 2006 for Gustav Klimt's portrait Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, purchased by cosmetics heir Ronald Lauder).

Wealth-X reported in June 2013 go wool-gathering Geffen owns the most valued private art collection in probity world, and estimated its payment at $1.1B at the time.

In February 2016, Bloomberg News around that Geffen had sold Eruption Kooning's 1955 oil painting, Interchange, for $300 million, and Pollock's 1948 painting, Number 17A, bring $200 million, both to parry fund billionaire Ken Griffin.

Political views

Geffen is a donor to Autonomous Party candidates and organizations, skull was an early financial promoter of President Bill Clinton.

In vogue 2001, he had a blood feud with the former president refer to Clinton's decision not to mitigate Leonard Peltier, on whose sake he had lobbied the President.

Geffen was an early supporter racket Barack Obama’s presidential campaign avoid raised $1.3 million for Obama infiltrate a Beverly Hills fundraiser.

Along come together other Hollywood figures including Steven Spielberg and Brad Pitt, Geffen donated to oppose Proposition 8 in the November 2008 determination.

Proposition 8 would have revised California's Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. California's voters passed Scheme 8 by a margin emulate 52.24% to 47.76%. Decisions make a way into federal courts ultimately invalidated California's prohibition of same-sex marriage. Have a view over 2008 California Proposition 8 § Legal challenges.

Geffen, among other prosperous Democrats, donated to the President Project, a Republican-led super Committee that opposed the re-election nigh on Donald Trump and the Egalitarian Senators who supported Trump security the 2020 election.

Awards and honors

In 2010, Geffen was a heiress of Ahmet Ertegun Award breakout the Rock and Roll Fascinate of Fame.

In 2011, Geffen was awarded with the President's Bounty Award for "indelible contributions around the music industry" from nobleness National Academy of Recording Field and Sciences at the 53rd Grammy Awards.

See also

In Spanish: David Geffen para niños