Gary Barber | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1957 (age 67–68) Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Citizenship |
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| Education | B.S.University of the Witwatersrand |
| Occupation | Media executive |
| Known for | CEO ofMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (2010–2018) Co-founder ofSpyglass Media Group |
| Children | 3 |
Gary Barber (born 1957) is a South African and American film producer. Barber was the chairman and CEO ofMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer.[1] He is also co-founder ofSpyglass Media Group.
Barber was born to aJewish family[2] inJohannesburg,South Africa.[3][4] He was educated atKing David School, Linksfield, in Johannesburg. He then received anaccounting degree from theUniversity of the Witwatersrand, also in Johannesburg.[1][5] He later worked as aChartered Accountant andCertified Public Accountant in South Africa and the United States, both withPrice Waterhouse.[1]
In 1982, he won a trip to theArlington Million horse race in Illinois.[5] In the same year, he moved to the United States, where his brother Cecil had been living since 1979. In the mid-1980s, Barber became a U.S. citizen.[3] In 1998, he andRoger Birnbaum foundedSpyglass Entertainment inLos Angeles.[1] His highest-grossing film as producer wasThe Tourist (2010), which grossed close to US$280 million at the worldwide box office.[6]
In December 2010, Barber becameChief Executive Officer ofMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).[1] Under his leadership, MGM together withEon Productions andSony Pictures financed the successful James Bond filmSkyfall, which grossed US$1,1 billion. MGM then also financedThe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012),21 Jump Street (2012) andHansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013). MGM then moved forward with remakes ofRoboCop andPoltergeist.[7][8] In March 2018, Barber was ousted from MGM, coming five months after the renewal of his contract with the studio to 2022; he received a $260M settlement.[9][10]
Barber has three daughters and lives inLos Angeles.[5]
Barber is also aThoroughbredracehorse owner. The Deputy, owned in partnership withTeam Valor, won the 2000 running of theGrade IISanta Catalina Stakes and the Grade ISanta Anita Derby atSanta Anita Park inArcadia, California. In 2006, Becrux, also owned in partnership with Team Valor, won the Grade IWoodbine Mile atWoodbine Racetrack inToronto, Canada.[11] In 2014, hisfillyLexie Lou won theQueen's Plate and was named theCanadian Horse of the Year.[12] His horseWar of Will won the2019 Preakness Stakes.[13]
Executive Producer
Producer
Special thanks
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