Ted Leonsis
Encyclopedia
Theodore John Leonsis is an Internet pioneer, sports team owner, venture capital
investor, filmmaker, author and philanthropist. His early new media company, Redgate Communications was acquired by America Online in 1994, and Leonsis became a senior AOL
executive for the next 13 years. He is the majority owner of the NHL
's Washington Capitals
, the NBA
's Washington Wizards
, the WNBA's Washington Mystics
and the Verizon Center
in Washington, DC. He serves as Founder and Chairman of SnagFilms
, vice chairman of Groupon
and on the board of American Express
and other companies. Leonsis has produced documentary films such as the Peabody
and the Emmy Award
-winning Nanking
and is the author of The Business of Happiness.
parents in Brooklyn, and spent his early years there. His parents worked as a waiter and a secretary. After skipping 8th grade, Leonsis attended Brooklyn Technical High School
but before graduation, his family moved back to their hometown of Lowell, Massachusetts
. He graduated from Lowell High School
in 1973 and Georgetown University
in 1977. After graduation, Leonsis moved back to his parents' home in Lowell and began working for Wang Laboratories
. In 2005, he was honored as one of Lowell High School's Distinguished Alumni for reaching the highest level of accomplishment and possessing the highest standards of integrity and character.
After surviving an airplane crash landing in 1983, he drafted a list of 101 things to do in life and has completed many of the tasks, including owning a sports franchise.
His career with AOL
started in 1993 when AOL purchased his marketing company, Redgate Communications Corp. to help AOL compete with Microsoft
. Under his leadership, AOL increased its membership from under 800,000 members to over 8 million, and their annual revenue increased from $100 million to $1.5 billion. He held numerous positions at AOL during his years there, completing his tenure and retiring in 2006 as the audience group's president and vice-chairman. He now serves as vice chairman emeritus of AOL.
Leonsis was named Businessperson of the Year in 2001 by Washington Business Journal and Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian Magazine. In 2009, Leonsis was named one of Washington's Tech Titans by Washingtonian Magazine. In July 2010, Leonsis was elected to the Board of Directors of American Express
, he chairs the New Innovation and Technology Committee. In December 2008, Leonsis was named to the board of NutriSystem, Inc. In June 2009, Leonsis was appointed as member of Alcatel-Lucent Board's Technology Committee.
Leonsis currently serves as founding chairman of SnagFilms
, a social media website that lets viewers watch and share documentary films. He is also chairman of Clearspring Technologies. Leonsis also serves on the board of Groupon
and Rosetta Stone
. Leonsis is currently on the board of directors at Georgetown University
, his alma mater. In 2010 Leonsis authored, The Business of Happiness.
In early 2011, Leonsis announced his purchase of Marwood, a historic 13-acre estate in Potomac, Maryland
. He acquired the property, a chateau-style riverfront mansion, for $20 million after selling homes in McLean, Virginia
and Vero Beach, Florida
. The 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) estate was once the home of Joseph P. Kennedy, summer home of Franklin Roosevelt, and was owned by the Gore family from 1942-1995. Leonsis purchased the home from Chris Rogers, a telecommunications executive who acquired Leonsis' home in McLean. The house, which was built in 1926, or 1930 by Samuel Martin, has 8 bedrooms, 11 full baths, and parking space for 10 cars. By some accounts, the estate is haunted, and has been called the "creepiest" home in Potomac.
Leonsis' son, Zachary, graduated Dean's List from University of Pennsylvania
in 2011 and is a volunteer for Street Soccer USA
. His daughter, Elle, is a student at Georgetown University.
’s Washington Wizards
, NHL
's Washington Capitals
and the WNBA
's Washington Mystics
and the Verizon Center
. Monumental Sports also manages Kettler Capitals Iceplex
and George Mason University
’s Patriot Center
.
Leonsis publishes his e-mail address and responds to fans’ requests. He also walks around the Verizon Center
during games and uses Facebook
and Twitter
to communicate his thoughts and urges players and staff to do the same.
Leonsis has a "hands on" approach to management of his sports teams. Leonsis has sought to roll-back changes to the Wizards and Capitals franchises that coincided with the opening of the Verizon Center
in 1997. In 2007, he changed the Capitals team logo and its colors back to red, white, and blue and has done the same with the Wizards. In May 2011, the team unveiled new Wizards uniforms and logos, receiving positive responses from media, fans, players and alumni. Additionally, he had taken under consideration returning their name to the Bullets, though critics said that this would "send the wrong message" about gun violence in Washington
.
In the early years of his ownership, the Capitals went on to win back-to-back Southeast Division titles in 2000 and 2001, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Pittsburgh Penguins
. In the summer of 2001, the Capitals traded for Jaromir Jagr
and signed him to what was at the time, the largest contract in NHL history. After Jagr was traded in 2004, Leonsis received overwhelming criticism from fans, and was involved in a physical altercation with a 20-year old fan, Jason Hammer, who led a mocking chant of Leonsis during the game and hoisted a sign chiding him. Hammer confronted Leonsis, who grabbed and threw him to the ground. Leonsis was fined $100,000 and suspended for a week, during which he was prohibited from having any contact with the team.
After purchasing the Wizards, Leonsis criticized the NBA's salary cap
at a luncheon with business leaders. He was fined $100,000 by the league, for "unauthorized public comments regarding the league's collective bargaining negotiations." In 2010, journalist Damien Cox
, author of the Ovechkin Project, a biography of Alexander Ovechkin
, wrote that Leonsis was trying to circumvent the NHL's salary cap when signing Ovechkin’s contract. He also alleged that Leonsis was bribing bloggers for positive coverage of the Capitals. Leonsis said that Cox was angry that he did not receive the access to Ovechkin that he wanted and defended his support for the league.
In 2009-10 the Capital earned the NHL's President's Trophy as the team that finished with the most points in the league during the regular season.
The 2010-11 season marked the highest attendance in franchise history, drawing 754,309 fans. The Capitals, like other teams, have raised ticket prices in recent years. In 2001, Leonsis claimed to have written a computer program that prevented Pittsburgh Penguins fans (the Capitals first-round
opponent) from purchasing tickets online. When asked if the actions were unfair, Leonsis stated, "I don't care. I'm going to keep doing it." Again in 2009, he received criticism for preventing visiting team fans from purchasing Capitals playoff tickets.
. His first production was the documentary Nanking
which made its world premiere at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival
. The 2009 Best Historical Programming Emmy and 2008 Peabody Award
winning film is based on the best selling book The Rape of Nanking
by Iris Chang
.
In 2008, Leonsis produced Kicking It
, a documentary by Susan Koch about the 2006 Homeless World Cup
. The film, narrated by actor Colin Farrell
, featured residents of Afghanistan
, Kenya
, Dublin, Charlotte, North Carolina
, Madrid
and Saint Petersburg
. The film premiered in January, 2008 at the Sundance Film Festival
and is being distributed by Liberation Entertainment, Netflix
and ESPN
. A third documentary,A Fighting Chance, tells the story of Kyle Maynard
, who despite being born without arms or legs has become a nationally ranked wrestler, motivational speaker and bestselling author.
program. Through Hoop Dreams, Leonsis was able to guide Michael Hendrickson into and through his first choice college. Leonsis and Hendrickson continue this relationship today. About Hoop Dreams, Leonsis has stated, “"The Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund is extraordinary and this Tournament really brings together so many different segments of the city to do something good for the youth of DC. Together, we can help make the educational dreams of hard working students a reality."
In addition, Leonsis is a contributor to the See Forever Foundation and to YouthAIDS. He also sponsors his own philanthropic foundation, the Leonsis Foundation, dedicated to creating "opportunities for children that enable them to reach their highest potential." The Foundation "partners with and supports organizations with the creativity, skill and dedication to help children overcome obstacles and achieve their goals."
On November 20, 2010, Leonsis was inducted into the Washington Business Hall of Fame due to his work in AOL, Washington’s major sports, filmmaking and donations to local charities.
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
investor, filmmaker, author and philanthropist. His early new media company, Redgate Communications was acquired by America Online in 1994, and Leonsis became a senior AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
executive for the next 13 years. He is the majority owner of the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
, the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
, the WNBA's Washington Mystics
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
and the Verizon Center
Verizon Center
Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies...
in Washington, DC. He serves as Founder and Chairman of SnagFilms
SnagFilms
SnagFilms is a website that offers advertising-supported documentary films. Films are streamed on the website, which contains a library of around 2,000 films. Filmmakers can submit documentaries for consideration as well...
, vice chairman of Groupon
Groupon
Groupon is a deal-of-the-day website that features discounted gift certificates usable at local or national companies. Groupon was launched in November 2008, the first market for Groupon was Chicago, followed soon thereafter by Boston, New York City, and Toronto...
and on the board of American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
and other companies. Leonsis has produced documentary films such as the Peabody
Peabody
-Places:United States* Peabody, Indiana* Peabody, Kansas** Peabody Downtown Historic District, in Peabody, Kansas* Peabody, Massachusetts* Peabody, Cambridge, Massachusetts, a neighborhood* Peabody River, in New Hampshire-Institutions:...
and the Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-winning Nanking
Nanking (film)
Nanking is a 2007 film about the 1937 Nanking Massacre committed by the Japanese army in the former capital city Nanjing, China. The film draws on letters and diaries from the era as well as archive footage and interviews with surviving victims and perpetrators of the massacre...
and is the author of The Business of Happiness.
Biography
Leonsis was born to Greek AmericanGreek American
Greek Americans are Americans of Greek descent also described as Hellenic descent. According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimation, there were 1,380,088 people of Greek ancestry in the United States, while the State Department mentions that around 3,000,000 Americans claim to be of Greek descent...
parents in Brooklyn, and spent his early years there. His parents worked as a waiter and a secretary. After skipping 8th grade, Leonsis attended Brooklyn Technical High School
Brooklyn Technical High School
Brooklyn Technical High School, commonly called Brooklyn Tech or just Tech, and also administratively as High School 430, is a New York City public high school that specializes in engineering, math and science and is the largest specialized high school for science, technology, engineering, and...
but before graduation, his family moved back to their hometown of Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
. He graduated from Lowell High School
Lowell High School (Lowell, Massachusetts)
Lowell High School is a single-campus public high school located in downtown Lowell, Massachusetts. The school is a part of Lowell Public Schools...
in 1973 and Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in 1977. After graduation, Leonsis moved back to his parents' home in Lowell and began working for Wang Laboratories
Wang Laboratories
Wang Laboratories was a computer company founded in 1951 by Dr. An Wang and Dr. G. Y. Chu. The company was successively headquartered in Cambridge , Tewksbury , and finally in Lowell, Massachusetts . At its peak in the 1980s, Wang Laboratories had annual revenues of $3 billion and employed over...
. In 2005, he was honored as one of Lowell High School's Distinguished Alumni for reaching the highest level of accomplishment and possessing the highest standards of integrity and character.
After surviving an airplane crash landing in 1983, he drafted a list of 101 things to do in life and has completed many of the tasks, including owning a sports franchise.
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
started in 1993 when AOL purchased his marketing company, Redgate Communications Corp. to help AOL compete with Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
. Under his leadership, AOL increased its membership from under 800,000 members to over 8 million, and their annual revenue increased from $100 million to $1.5 billion. He held numerous positions at AOL during his years there, completing his tenure and retiring in 2006 as the audience group's president and vice-chairman. He now serves as vice chairman emeritus of AOL.
Leonsis was named Businessperson of the Year in 2001 by Washington Business Journal and Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian Magazine. In 2009, Leonsis was named one of Washington's Tech Titans by Washingtonian Magazine. In July 2010, Leonsis was elected to the Board of Directors of American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
, he chairs the New Innovation and Technology Committee. In December 2008, Leonsis was named to the board of NutriSystem, Inc. In June 2009, Leonsis was appointed as member of Alcatel-Lucent Board's Technology Committee.
Leonsis currently serves as founding chairman of SnagFilms
SnagFilms
SnagFilms is a website that offers advertising-supported documentary films. Films are streamed on the website, which contains a library of around 2,000 films. Filmmakers can submit documentaries for consideration as well...
, a social media website that lets viewers watch and share documentary films. He is also chairman of Clearspring Technologies. Leonsis also serves on the board of Groupon
Groupon
Groupon is a deal-of-the-day website that features discounted gift certificates usable at local or national companies. Groupon was launched in November 2008, the first market for Groupon was Chicago, followed soon thereafter by Boston, New York City, and Toronto...
and Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone is an ancient Egyptian granodiorite stele inscribed with a decree issued at Memphis in 196 BC on behalf of King Ptolemy V. The decree appears in three scripts: the upper text is Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the middle portion Demotic script, and the lowest Ancient Greek...
. Leonsis is currently on the board of directors at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, his alma mater. In 2010 Leonsis authored, The Business of Happiness.
In early 2011, Leonsis announced his purchase of Marwood, a historic 13-acre estate in Potomac, Maryland
Potomac, Maryland
Potomac is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named for the nearby Potomac River. The population was 44,822 at the 2000 census. The Potomac area is known for its very affluent and highly-educated residents. In 2009 CNNMoney.com listed Potomac as the fourth...
. He acquired the property, a chateau-style riverfront mansion, for $20 million after selling homes in McLean, Virginia
McLean, Virginia
McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 48,115 as of the 2010 census....
and Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach is a city in Indian River County, Florida, USA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 16,939. It is the county seat of Indian River County...
. The 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) estate was once the home of Joseph P. Kennedy, summer home of Franklin Roosevelt, and was owned by the Gore family from 1942-1995. Leonsis purchased the home from Chris Rogers, a telecommunications executive who acquired Leonsis' home in McLean. The house, which was built in 1926, or 1930 by Samuel Martin, has 8 bedrooms, 11 full baths, and parking space for 10 cars. By some accounts, the estate is haunted, and has been called the "creepiest" home in Potomac.
Leonsis' son, Zachary, graduated Dean's List from University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 2011 and is a volunteer for Street Soccer USA
Street Soccer USA
Street Soccer USA is an non-profit organization under the umbrella of HELP USA that promotes the growth and development of a national network of grassroots soccer programs to achieve social change. SSUSA aims to get homeless men, women, and youth off the streets through innovative, sports-based...
. His daughter, Elle, is a student at Georgetown University.
Sports team ownership
Leonsis is the founder, majority owner, chairman and CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, the sports and entertainment group which on June 9, 2010 became owners of the NBANational Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
’s Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
, NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
and the WNBA
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
's Washington Mystics
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
and the Verizon Center
Verizon Center
Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies...
. Monumental Sports also manages Kettler Capitals Iceplex
Kettler Capitals Iceplex
Kettler Capitals Iceplex is the practice arena of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League. The highest ice rink above street-level in the United States, it is located on the eighth floor atop the parking garage adjoining the Ballston Common Mall in the Ballston neighborhood of...
and George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
’s Patriot Center
Patriot Center
The Patriot Center is a 10,000-seat arena in Fairfax, Virginia. It is located on the campus of George Mason University , and has attracted 9.6 million people to over 2,958 events. In 2010, the Patriot Center was ranked No. 7 nationwide and No...
.
Leonsis publishes his e-mail address and responds to fans’ requests. He also walks around the Verizon Center
Verizon Center
Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies...
during games and uses Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
to communicate his thoughts and urges players and staff to do the same.
Leonsis has a "hands on" approach to management of his sports teams. Leonsis has sought to roll-back changes to the Wizards and Capitals franchises that coincided with the opening of the Verizon Center
Verizon Center
Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies...
in 1997. In 2007, he changed the Capitals team logo and its colors back to red, white, and blue and has done the same with the Wizards. In May 2011, the team unveiled new Wizards uniforms and logos, receiving positive responses from media, fans, players and alumni. Additionally, he had taken under consideration returning their name to the Bullets, though critics said that this would "send the wrong message" about gun violence in Washington
Crime in Washington, D.C.
Crime in Washington, D.C. is directly related to the city's changing demographics, geography, and unique criminal justice system. The District's population reached a peak of 802,178 in 1950. However, shortly thereafter, the city began losing residents and by 1980 Washington had lost one-quarter of...
.
In the early years of his ownership, the Capitals went on to win back-to-back Southeast Division titles in 2000 and 2001, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
. In the summer of 2001, the Capitals traded for Jaromir Jagr
Jaromir Jagr
Jaromír Jágr is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Jágr formerly played with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, and New York Rangers, serving as captain of the Penguins and the Rangers...
and signed him to what was at the time, the largest contract in NHL history. After Jagr was traded in 2004, Leonsis received overwhelming criticism from fans, and was involved in a physical altercation with a 20-year old fan, Jason Hammer, who led a mocking chant of Leonsis during the game and hoisted a sign chiding him. Hammer confronted Leonsis, who grabbed and threw him to the ground. Leonsis was fined $100,000 and suspended for a week, during which he was prohibited from having any contact with the team.
After purchasing the Wizards, Leonsis criticized the NBA's salary cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
at a luncheon with business leaders. He was fined $100,000 by the league, for "unauthorized public comments regarding the league's collective bargaining negotiations." In 2010, journalist Damien Cox
Damien Cox
Damien Cox is a sports columnist for the Toronto Star. He has covered the NHL and the Toronto Maple Leafs as a reporter and columnist for over 22 years, as well as the 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics, and many other international hockey events...
, author of the Ovechkin Project, a biography of Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhaylovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League...
, wrote that Leonsis was trying to circumvent the NHL's salary cap when signing Ovechkin’s contract. He also alleged that Leonsis was bribing bloggers for positive coverage of the Capitals. Leonsis said that Cox was angry that he did not receive the access to Ovechkin that he wanted and defended his support for the league.
In 2009-10 the Capital earned the NHL's President's Trophy as the team that finished with the most points in the league during the regular season.
The 2010-11 season marked the highest attendance in franchise history, drawing 754,309 fans. The Capitals, like other teams, have raised ticket prices in recent years. In 2001, Leonsis claimed to have written a computer program that prevented Pittsburgh Penguins fans (the Capitals first-round
2001 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , were played from April until June. The Colorado Avalanche defeated the New Jersey Devils to win its second Stanley Cup....
opponent) from purchasing tickets online. When asked if the actions were unfair, Leonsis stated, "I don't care. I'm going to keep doing it." Again in 2009, he received criticism for preventing visiting team fans from purchasing Capitals playoff tickets.
Filmmaking
Leonsis has become involved in film investing as a philanthropic interest, which he calls "filmanthropy". "The driver of filmanthropy is that the world is more screwed up every day and people want to call attention to issues," he told the Financial TimesFinancial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
. His first production was the documentary Nanking
Nanking (film)
Nanking is a 2007 film about the 1937 Nanking Massacre committed by the Japanese army in the former capital city Nanjing, China. The film draws on letters and diaries from the era as well as archive footage and interviews with surviving victims and perpetrators of the massacre...
which made its world premiere at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
. The 2009 Best Historical Programming Emmy and 2008 Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
winning film is based on the best selling book The Rape of Nanking
The Rape of Nanking (book)
The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II is a bestselling 1997 non-fiction book written by Iris Chang about the 1937–1938 Nanking Massacre, the massacre and atrocities committed by the Imperial Japanese Army after it captured Nanjing, then capital of China, during the Second...
by Iris Chang
Iris Chang
Iris Shun-Ru Chang was an American historian and journalist. She is best known for her best-selling 1997 account of the Nanking Massacre, The Rape of Nanking. She committed suicide on November 9, 2004...
.
In 2008, Leonsis produced Kicking It
Kicking It (film)
Kicking It is a 2008 documentary directed by Susan Koch and Jeff Werner focusing on the experiences of seven homeless people at the Homeless World Cup football game. Featured in the documentary, narrated by actor Colin Farrell were residents of Afghanistan; Kenya; Dublin, Ireland; Charlotte, North...
, a documentary by Susan Koch about the 2006 Homeless World Cup
Homeless World Cup
-The Cause:There are one billion homeless people in our world today. This is a global issue that affects every nation.Homelessness can force people into isolation, which affects their ability to share, communicate their thoughts and work with others...
. The film, narrated by actor Colin Farrell
Colin Farrell
Colin James Farrell is an Irish actor, who has appeared in such film as Tigerland, Miami Vice, Minority Report, Phone Booth, The Recruit, Alexander and S.W.A.T....
, featured residents of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Dublin, Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. The film premiered in January, 2008 at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
and is being distributed by Liberation Entertainment, Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
and ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. A third documentary,A Fighting Chance, tells the story of Kyle Maynard
Kyle Maynard
Kyle Maynard is a speaker, author and ESPY Award-winning Mixed Martial Arts athlete.Maynard works as a speaker for the Washington Speaker's Bureau, specializing in motivational speeches...
, who despite being born without arms or legs has become a nationally ranked wrestler, motivational speaker and bestselling author.
Philanthropy
Leonsis is a mentor through the Hoop DreamsHoop Dreams
Hoop Dreams is a 1994 documentary film directed by Steve James, with Kartemquin Films. It follows the story of two African-American high school students in Chicago and their dream of becoming professional basketball players....
program. Through Hoop Dreams, Leonsis was able to guide Michael Hendrickson into and through his first choice college. Leonsis and Hendrickson continue this relationship today. About Hoop Dreams, Leonsis has stated, “"The Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund is extraordinary and this Tournament really brings together so many different segments of the city to do something good for the youth of DC. Together, we can help make the educational dreams of hard working students a reality."
In addition, Leonsis is a contributor to the See Forever Foundation and to YouthAIDS. He also sponsors his own philanthropic foundation, the Leonsis Foundation, dedicated to creating "opportunities for children that enable them to reach their highest potential." The Foundation "partners with and supports organizations with the creativity, skill and dedication to help children overcome obstacles and achieve their goals."
On November 20, 2010, Leonsis was inducted into the Washington Business Hall of Fame due to his work in AOL, Washington’s major sports, filmmaking and donations to local charities.
External links
- Official site
- The Business Of Happiness discussion at Sixth and I Historic Synagogue, February 2010