Very few entrepreneurs can taste success and retain it, especially in the highly competitive sphere of media and entertainment. The way billionaire entrepreneur and business magnate David Lawrence Geffen had scaled heights is remarkable. Hailing from a Jewish immigrant family, he went on to become the co-founder ofDreamWorks SKG, biggest studio producing some of the most popular Hollywood flicks. His alliance with movie industry stalwarts like Steven Spielberg has also made him eminent in various circles.
After completing his school education, Geffen attended Brooklyn College and University of Texas, but dropped out of both. He then shifted to LA, California to make it big in the entertainment industry. Reportedly, his discontinuation of education was due to dyslexia. It was difficult to conceive that a boy hailing from Brooklyn will emerge as music and movie producer and set up a mammoth Hollywood based empire.
Geffen worked in companies like William Morris Agency and later founded Asylum Records. The set up was later bought by Warner Communications. In the 1980s, he set up Geffen Records and his alliance with legendary singer John Lennon proved to be successful. He ventured into film production through the Geffen Film Company and tasted moderate success with dark comedies. The turning point of his career was setting up of DreamWorks SKG studio in 1994. He worked in it till 2008.
Geffen Family Profile
The Geffen family profile shows a real life example of proverbial rags to riches story.
Geffen Parents – Abraham and Batya Geffen
David’s father Abraham worked as a pattern maker and mother Batya sold women’s undergarments in a small shop. Both of them were Soviet Jew immigrants.
Geffen Siblings – Mitchell Geffen
David Geffen has a brother named Mitchell who used to work as a lawyer. The two daughters of Mitchell are David’s closest relatives.
David Geffen Partner – Jeremy Lingvall
David Geffen is gay and open about his sexual orientation. This is the reason he has not opted for marriage and family life.
He had a relationship with Jeremy Lingvall, a DJ and college pass out 40 years younger to him. They met in 2006 when the youngster had passed out from the University of California. They spent 6 years together though no civil partnership or same sex marriage took place. They were seen in several high profile social events and occasions, including a dinner with the US President Barack Obama. They split in 2012 and the reason stated was the relationship had run its course.
Geffen Family Net worth
The net worth of David Geffen stands at $6.7 billion.
Geffen is among the self made US billionaires who have a keen interest in contemporary art. His collections of post-war US art is enviable. He owns two luxurious yachts; The Pelorus and a 377 foot vessel bought from Roman Abramovitch, the famous Russian billionaire.
Geffen is also known for his charitable and philanthropic acts. He had contributed to causes for AIDS, arts and culture. He donated $200 million for UCLA’s School of Medicine in 2002.