Gustavo Cisneros
Encyclopedia
Gustavo A. Cisneros Rendiles (born 1945) is a Venezuela
n media mogul of Cuban
descent. He is among the world's richest men according to Forbes
magazine, which estimated his fortune at $4.2 billion in 2010 The New York Times
calls Cisneros, "one of Latin America’s most powerful figures" and says he and his wife, Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, have a reputation for being "a Latin American power couple in business and the global social scene."
concession for Venezuela in 1940, before going on to gain the concession for private TV channel Venevisión in 1961.
The Cisneros family was the first-wealthiest in South America on the 2006 Forbes
ranking. He graduated from Suffield Academy
in Connecticut
in 1963 and from Babson College
in Massachusetts
in 1968.
In addition to Venezuelan citizenship, Cisneros also holds Spanish and Dominican citizenship.
, the United States' leading Spanish-language television network, Cisneros was one of the biggest shareholders of the Company. He also owns Venevision International
, which produces and distributes media and entertainment products throughout the world, and Venevisión
, a Venezuelan television network. Since 1980 the Group has owned the Miss Venezuela
contest and since 2001 also the Leones del Caracas
baseball team.
One of his major accomplishments has been a major role in the international development of telenovela
s – emotion-packed melodramas based on the harsh realities of life in Latin America that are now broadcast to about 2 billion people around the world. In part to honor his international success, he was named MIPCOM
"Personality of the Year" in 2005, a prestigious media industry award.
The Cisneros Foundation (Fundación Cisneros) runs a wide range of educational and cultural programs aimed at improving the lives of Latin Americans. These include the AME program for professional development of Latin American educators, visual arts education and awareness based on the Coleccion Patricia Phelps de Cisneros; PPV, a visual thinking curriculum for Latin American school children, and traveling art exhibits showcasing the talents of Latin American artists for North America and European audiences. For his work, in March 2004, Gustavo was presented with the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service, in Miami, Florida
, by the Woodrow Wilson Center
of the Smithsonian Institution
.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n media mogul of Cuban
Cubans
Cubans or Cuban people are the inhabitants or citizens of Cuba. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
descent. He is among the world's richest men according to Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
magazine, which estimated his fortune at $4.2 billion in 2010 The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
calls Cisneros, "one of Latin America’s most powerful figures" and says he and his wife, Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, have a reputation for being "a Latin American power couple in business and the global social scene."
Background
Cisneros is the son of Diego Cisneros; Diego Cisneros was in business in Caracas from 1929 and received the PepsiPepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
concession for Venezuela in 1940, before going on to gain the concession for private TV channel Venevisión in 1961.
The Cisneros family was the first-wealthiest in South America on the 2006 Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
ranking. He graduated from Suffield Academy
Suffield Academy
Suffield Academy is a private coeducational preparatory school located in Suffield, Connecticut, USA. It was founded in 1833. The Headmaster is Charles Cahn III.-Overview:...
in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
in 1963 and from Babson College
Babson College
Babson College is a private business school located in Wellesley, Massachusetts near Boston.- History :Babson College was founded by Roger Babson on September 3, 1919, as the Babson Institute. It was renamed "Babson College" in 1969...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in 1968.
In addition to Venezuelan citizenship, Cisneros also holds Spanish and Dominican citizenship.
Cisneros Group
Cisneros' wealth comes from his holdings in media, entertainment, telecommunications and consumer products companies. The Cisneros Group of Companies is one of the largest Spanish-language privately-held media and entertainment companies. Until the buyout of UnivisionUnivision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
, the United States' leading Spanish-language television network, Cisneros was one of the biggest shareholders of the Company. He also owns Venevision International
Venevisión International
Venevisíon International is a global television network which broadcasts Spanish content in the United States and in other locations around the globe....
, which produces and distributes media and entertainment products throughout the world, and Venevisión
Venevisión
Venevisión is one of Venezuela's largest television networks and a Venezuelan cable and terrestrial television network, which is owned and presided over by Gustavo Cisneros...
, a Venezuelan television network. Since 1980 the Group has owned the Miss Venezuela
Miss Venezuela
The Miss Venezuela contest is the national beauty pageant of Venezuela and has been held since 1952. It is responsible for selecting the country's representatives to the Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Earth and Miss International pageants .Under the direction of Osmel Sousa, Venezuela has...
contest and since 2001 also the Leones del Caracas
Leones del Caracas
The Leones del Caracas is a Venezuelan baseball team that plays in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Since its inception, the team has played in the Estadio Universitario in Caracas...
baseball team.
Views and awards
Long an advocate of free enterprise Cisneros has for many years been expanding his operations outside of Venezuela and into overseas markets, including the U.S., Spain and more recently China.One of his major accomplishments has been a major role in the international development of telenovela
Telenovela
A telenovela is a limited-run serial dramatic programming popular in Latin American, Portuguese, and Spanish television programming. The word combines tele, short for televisión or televisão , and novela, a Spanish or Portuguese word for "novel"...
s – emotion-packed melodramas based on the harsh realities of life in Latin America that are now broadcast to about 2 billion people around the world. In part to honor his international success, he was named MIPCOM
Mipcom
-MIPCOM:MIPCOM is a TV and entertainment market which is held in the town of Cannes once every year, normally in October.It is essentially a content event for co-producing, buying, selling, financing and distributing entertainment content...
"Personality of the Year" in 2005, a prestigious media industry award.
The Cisneros Foundation (Fundación Cisneros) runs a wide range of educational and cultural programs aimed at improving the lives of Latin Americans. These include the AME program for professional development of Latin American educators, visual arts education and awareness based on the Coleccion Patricia Phelps de Cisneros; PPV, a visual thinking curriculum for Latin American school children, and traveling art exhibits showcasing the talents of Latin American artists for North America and European audiences. For his work, in March 2004, Gustavo was presented with the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service, in Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, by the Woodrow Wilson Center
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars , located in Washington, D.C., is a United States Presidential Memorial that was established as part of the Smithsonian Institution by an act of Congress in 1968...
of the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
.
External links
- Gustavo Cisneros bio
- Richard GottRichard GottRichard Willoughby Gott is a British journalist and historian, who has written extensively on Latin America...
, New Left ReviewNew Left ReviewNew Left Review is a 160-page journal, published every two months from London, devoted to world politics, economy and culture. Often compared to the French-language Les Temps modernes, it is associated with Verso Books , and regularly features the essays of authorities on contemporary social...
, 7 June 2006, Venezuela's Murdoch