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David Lawrence Geffen is an American film producer, record executive, media proprietor, and philanthropist. In music, he co-founded Asylum Records with Elliot Roberts in 1971 before founding Geffen Records in 1980, DGC Records in 1990, and co-founding DreamWorks Records in 1996. In film, he founded the Geffen Film Company in 1982 and co-founded DreamWorks SKG with Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katz…
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business · American media proprietor (born 1943) · film producer · talent agent · businessperson · record producer · television producer · theatrical producer · music executive · art collector · also David Geffen, Geffen
Born 21 February 1943 · Q115055
45 published statements · 0 followers
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Public attention spiked: 5,112 Wikipedia readers in one day, 3.3× the usual 1,571, with 0 article edits.
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Queerty: David Geffen’s messy divorce from his 32-year-old ex just went in a wild new direction
New York Daily News: David Geffen’s estranged husband claims abuse in blockbuster lawsuit
Yahoo: Billionaire David Geffen Faces Possible Legal Battle Over Money As Estranged Husband Makes Major Move
Page Six: David Geffen’s estranged husband wants probe into billionaire’s true fortune as divorce gets more contentious
The Source Magazine: David Geffen Files for Divorce From Much-Younger Husband—No Prenup in Sight
Yahoo: Billionaire David Geffen, 82, files for divorce from go-go dancer husband, 32, without prenup
The New York Times: David Geffen
(aged 89), was acknowledged to have been the one who led Geffen Records during its glory years in the 1980s and 1990s
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The Wall Street Journal reported that Geffen, Barry Diller and Diller's stepson, Alex von Furstenberg, were being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the United States Department of Justice for ins
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In recognition of his donation, the East Building was renamed David Geffen Hall when opened in 2022.
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Geffen was ranked the most polluting individual American and second most polluting individual in the world, largely due to his yachts
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In September 2021, Columbia Business School announced that David Geffen had made a gift of $75 million to support the school's new facilities in the Manhattanville neighborhood, north of Columbia's main campus.
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Reported net worth: $7.8B (as of 2019).
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Geffen pledged $100 million toward the renovation of what was then called the Avery Fisher Hall, part of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York
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UCLA announced that Geffen had donated another $100 million in addition to his 2002 donation of $200 million, making him the largest individual benefactor for the UC system
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Geffen was awarded the President's Merit Award for "indelible contributions to the music industry" from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences at the 53rd Grammy Awards
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Awarded Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2010).
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Geffen was a recipient of the Ahmet Ertegun Award from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
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Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich agreed to a divorce settlement with his wife Irina that resulted in her taking ownership of the 115-meter (377 ft) yacht Pelorus
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Geffen bought a half-share in friend Larry Ellison's luxury yacht Rising Sun, then at 138 meters (453 ft) the sixth largest motor yacht in the world
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The New York Times reported that Geffen had sold Pollock's 1948 painting No
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To national and international media coverage
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As an urban music operation, signing hip-hop artists such as Waka Flocka Flame, Cam’ron, Gucci Mane, Paul Wall, Mike Jones and Bun B
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Universal dissolved MCA Records and DreamWorks Records; MCA president Jay Boberg had resigned the prior spring while UMG (in October) acquired the latter label from Geffen's film label, DreamWorks Pictures, with rosters
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Filed a lawsuit to block public access altogether
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Announced a $200 million unrestricted endowment for the School of Medicine at UCLA
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Had a quarrel with the former president over Clinton's decision not to pardon Leonard Peltier, on whose behalf he had lobbied the President
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DreamWorks signed a $100 million deal with ABC
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Donated $5 million towards UCLA's Westwood Playhouse
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Geffen co-founded the DreamWorks SKG studio with Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg
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Awarded Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Animated Program for Beetlejuice (1990).
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The label was sold to MCA Records, with Geffen receiving shares in MCA worth $550 million
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Geffen received permits from the California Coastal Commission to build a Cape Cod-style compound over multiple beachfront lots in exchange for creating a public pathway to the beach
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And co-founded DreamWorks SKG with Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg in 1994
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Founded his eponymous record label and recruited Warner Bros
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A new medical diagnosis revealed the error in the original diagnosis and Geffen was given a clean bill of health, whereupon he decided to return to working in the entertainment industry
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Was informed (erroneously) that he had cancer
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While Cher was still married to Sonny Bono, but their marriage was already ending
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With Elliot Roberts after Geffen was unable to get Jackson Browne a record deal anywhere else
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Before founding Geffen Records in 1980, DGC Records in 1990, and co-founding DreamWorks Records (with Mo Ostin, Michael Ostin and Lenny Waronker) in 1996
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Was executive vice president and talent agent for Creative Management Associates
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Geffen left WMA and became a talent agent for Ashley-Famous Agency
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As a mailroom clerk at the William Morris Agency (WMA), where he quickly became a talent agent
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Born 1943-02-21.
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