Michael Lynton | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael Mark Lynton (1960-01-01)January 1, 1960 (age 65) London, United Kingdom |
| Citizenship | American • Dutch |
| Alma mater | Harvard University (AB,MBA) |
| Occupation(s) | Chairman ofSnap Inc. (2017–) Chairman ofWMG (2019–) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Michael Mark Lynton (born January 1, 1960) is a businessman and current chairman of Snap Inc. He previously served as chairman and chief executive ofSony Pictures Entertainment.[1] In 2017, Lynton stepped down as CEO of Sony Entertainment to become Chairman ofSnap, makers of theSnapchat mobile app.[2] On February 12, 2019, he was named as chairman ofWarner Music Group.[3]
Lynton was born to aJewish family[4] inLondon on January 1, 1960.[5] His parents, Marion (Sonnenberg) andMark Lynton, were executives atHunter Douglas in theNetherlands.[6][7] His father, born Max-Otto Ludwig Loewenstein, was born in 1920 inStuttgart, Germany, and moved toBerlin two years later when his father was named head of a major German car manufacturing company. He later enlisted in the British military, where he served for seven years and worked for the British Intelligence, interrogating German officers.[8] The family later moved to theUnited States and lived inScarsdale, New York, for several years before moving to the Netherlands in 1969.[9][10]
Lynton attended theInternational School of The Hague and transferred toPhillips Exeter Academy for his senior year, graduating in 1978.[11][5] He received his BA in history and literature fromHarvard College in 1982.[10][12] After working in finance atCredit Suisse First Boston from 1982 to 1985, he enrolled inHarvard Business School with his sister Lili in 1985 and earned an MBA in 1987.[5][13]
In 1987, Lynton joinedThe Walt Disney Company, where he started Disney Publishing. He subsequently served as president of Disney'sHollywood Pictures from 1992 to 1996. From 1996 to 2000, Lynton was chairman and chief executive officer ofPearson plc'sPenguin Group, extending the Penguin brand to music and the Internet.[14] In 2000, he joinedTime Warner as CEO ofAOL Europe, president of AOL International, and president of Time Warner International.[15]
In 2004, Lynton became chairman and chief executive officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE). He led SPE's global operations, including motion pictures, television and digital content production and distribution, as well as home entertainment acquisition and distribution, operation of studio facilities, and the development of new entertainment products, services and technologies.[16]
In April 2012, Sony Corporation announced that Lynton would additionally hold the position of chief executive of Sony Entertainment Inc., overseeing all of Sony's global entertainment businesses, includingSony Music Entertainment,Sony/ATV Music Publishing, and Sony Pictures Entertainment.[17]
Under the leadership of Lynton and Sony Pictures co-chairAmy Pascal, SPE's Motion Pictures Group has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, including Best Picture nominations forAmerican Hustle,Captain Phillips,The Social Network,Moneyball andZero Dark Thirty.[18][19][20] Lynton and Pascal have overseen blockbuster movie franchises such asThe Amazing Spider-Man,Grown Ups,The Smurfs, andJames Bond.[21][22][23][24] Sony Pictures is one of two movie studios to generate more than $1 billion in annual domestic box office sales for more than a decade.[25] In 2012, the studio led the industry in market share and broke box office records with $4.4 billion in revenue worldwide.[26]
Lynton also oversawSony Pictures Television (SPT), which produces and distributes television programming for multiple platforms in the U.S. and around the world.[27] SPT's popular and award-winning programs in the U.S. include scripted series such asBreaking Bad,Justified, andThe Blacklist, reality series likeShark Tank,The Sing-Off andRe-Modeled, as well as top-ranked game shows and daytime dramas includingWheel of Fortune,Jeopardy!,The Young and the Restless andDays of Our Lives. Launched in collaboration withOprah Winfrey'sHarpo Productions, SPT'sThe Dr. Oz Show is one of the most popular syndicated programs in America. The show's format has already been exported to 19 countries includingRussia,Saudi Arabia,Armenia,Colombia,Chile,Brazil andChina.[28] The studio's television channel network reaches approximately 800 million households globally through its 126 channel feeds in more than 150 countries. SPT also operatesCrackle.[29]
Lynton headed Sony's global music businesses, including Sony Music Entertainment, the second largest global recorded music company, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the largest music publishing company in the world.[30][31][32] Sony Music comprises 21 record labels, includingColumbia Records,RCA andEpic Records, that collectively feature a roster of approximately 1,500 active artists[33] includingBeyoncé,Justin Timberlake,Paul Simon andMichael Jackson.[34]
Lynton and Pascal led the development of two Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings on the studio'sCulver City lot.[35]
In 2018, Lynton and his sister Lili started the publisher Lezen and acquiredArcadia Publishing.[36]
Lynton is a member of theCouncil on Foreign Relations[37] and the UK government's Film Policy Review group.[38] He also serves on the board of trustees of theLos Angeles County Museum of Art,[39] theNatural Resources Defense Council,[40]CARE International, and theAmerican Film Institute,[41] as well as the boards of theUSC School of Cinematic Arts,[42] theRand Corporation,[43]IEX Group,[44] andSchrödinger, Inc.[45]
In May 2012, the Harvard Alumni Association elected Lynton to theHarvard Board of Overseers.[46] He joined the board of social media start-upSnapchat in June 2013.[47]
In 1993, Lynton married Jamie Alter Lynton, the daughter of Chicago politicianJoanne H. Alter. His brother-in-law is the journalistJonathan Alter.[48][5] The couple has three daughters.[49] He holds American and Dutch citizenship.[50]
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