Haim Saban facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Haim Saban
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| חיים סבן | |
Saban in December 2013
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| Born | October 15, 1944 |
| Citizenship | Israel, United States |
| Occupation | Businessman, investor; record, film and television producer |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Cheryl Flor (m. 1987) |
| Children | 4 |
Haim Saban (/səˈbɑːn/; Hebrew: חיים סבן; born October 15, 1944) is a very successful businessman from Israel and the United States. He is known for investing in media, music, and television. He has a lot of money, and Forbes magazine has listed him as one of the richest people in America.
Saban started Saban Entertainment, a company that made and shared popular children's TV shows in the US. One of his most famous shows is Power Rangers. He also helped buy big TV companies like ProSiebenSat.1 Media and Univision Communications. Haim Saban gives a lot of money to the Democratic Party in the United States. He also works to support Israel in American politics. In March 2017, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in television.
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Early Life and Family
Haim Saban was born in Alexandria, Egypt. His family was Egyptian-Jewish. In 1956, when he was 12, his family moved to Israel. Many other Jewish families from Egypt also moved to Israel around that time.
When he was young, Saban went to a special boarding school called Youth Aliyah. He was known for being a bit of a troublemaker. Later, he went to a night high school. His principal told him he was "not cut out for academic studies" but was "cut out for making money." He also served as a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces.
Haim Saban is married to Cheryl Lynn (Flor) Saban. They have two children together. He also has two stepchildren, Tifanie and Heidi Lenhart. He lives in Beverly Hills, California.
Music Career
Saban began his career in music in 1966. He played the bass and managed a rock band called The Lions of Judah (Ha'arayot). The band was named after the Lion of Judah from Jewish Scripture. Saban didn't know how to play the bass at first. He said he would only book the band's shows if he could be their bassist.
In 1969, a musician named Dave Watts from the British band The Tornados joined The Lions. The band went to England and played in clubs in London. They even signed a deal with Polydor Records. In July 1969, they appeared on a BBC TV show called Colour Me Pop. The band recorded a song called "Our Love's A Growing Thing." However, it was not released in the UK because of money problems. The band returned to Israel, and Saban started focusing on promoting music.
In Israel, Saban worked as a tour promoter. He faced financial difficulties, especially after the Yom Kippur War. He then met a young singer named Noam Kaniel. Saban took Kaniel to Paris and produced many of his songs and albums. In 1978, Kaniel recorded the theme song for Goldorak. This was the French version of UFO Robot Grendizer, which was the first anime show to be shown in France. This experience led Saban to get involved in music for American cartoons.
In 1983, Haim Saban moved to the United States. There, he and his partner Shuki Levy became famous for creating soundtracks for children's TV shows in the 1980s. They made music for their own shows, like Kidd Video and Maple Town. They also created music for other popular cartoons. These included Inspector Gadget, The Mysterious Cities of Gold, M.A.S.K., Dinosaucers, Dragon Quest, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra: Princess of Power, and Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors.
Business Ventures
Saban Entertainment
Haim Saban became a television producer and started Saban Entertainment in 1988. In the 1990s, his company became well-known for producing shows like Power Rangers, Masked Rider, VR Troopers, and Big Bad Beetleborgs. These shows were American versions of Japanese tokusatsu (special effects) programs.
Fox Family
In 1996, News Corporation's Fox Children's Network joined with Haim Saban's Saban Entertainment. They formed a new company called Fox Kids Worldwide. This company also bought a large collection of TV shows from Jean Chalopin.
Children's TV was changing, with more kids watching cable channels like Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. Fox Kids Worldwide wanted to create its own cable channel to compete. They decided to buy The Family Channel.
On July 23, 2001, Saban announced that he and News Corporation would sell Fox Family Worldwide Inc. to The Walt Disney Company for $5.3 billion. The sale was completed on October 24, 2001. The network was then renamed ABC Family. Saban made about $1.6 billion from this sale.
ProSiebenSat.1
In August 2003, Saban led a group of investors who bought a major part of the German media company ProSiebenSat.1 Media. This company is Germany's largest commercial television broadcaster. It owns five German TV channels, including ProSieben and SAT.1. At the time, these channels made up about 45% of the German TV advertising market. This was the first time a foreign investor took control of such a big German media company.
Saban helped ProSiebenSat.1 become very successful again. He brought in experienced leaders like Tony Ball and Greg Dyke to help run the company. In March 2007, Saban Capital Group and his group of investors sold their share in ProSiebenSat.1. They made a good profit from the sale.
Univision
On June 27, 2006, Saban Capital Group led a group of investors who wanted to buy Univision Communications. Univision is the biggest Spanish-language media company in the United States. Saban's group successfully bought Univision for $13.7 billion. However, they sold it to other investors in 2020.
Saban Music Group
In 2019, Saban announced that he had started a new company called Saban Music Group. He put $500 million of his own money into it. The company plans to work with artists from all over the world, especially from Latin America. They will find new artists and buy existing music businesses.
Views and Support
Haim Saban has always supported Jewish and pro-Israel causes. He has often said that his main focus is Israel.
Saban became involved in politics in the mid-1990s. He felt that support for Israel was becoming weaker in the United States. He has said his views have changed over time.
I used to be a real leftist. I remember Arik Sharon [the leader of Israel's right-wing Likud Party] coming here, to my house, a few months before Camp David, when he was still leader of the opposition. He told me there would be no deal because [Yassir] Arafat would not sign. I told myself that there was nothing to be done—these right-wingers were simply insane. I had no doubt that there would be a deal and the problems would be resolved. History proved that Sharon was right and I was wrong. In matters relating to security, that moved me to the right. Very far to the right…When there is a terrorist attack, I am [Avigdor] Lieberman. Sometimes to the right of Lieberman. For two days I really love Lieberman. But afterward I come back to reality. Look, I don't see a solution today.
Saban has given a lot of money to the Democratic Party in the United States. This information is public because of rules from the Federal Election Commission. During the time when Bill Clinton was president, Saban advised the White House on trade issues. He and his wife even stayed at the White House several times. He is still good friends with former President Clinton. Saban also gave between $5 million and $10 million to the Clinton Foundation.
In September 2004, Hillary Clinton said Saban was a very good friend and adviser. She thanked him for his support for Israel and for peace in the Middle East. In May 2007, Haim Saban publicly supported Hillary Clinton for the 2008 presidential election. He and Steven Spielberg even hosted a fundraiser for her that raised over $850,000.
In 2016, Saban supported Hillary Clinton for President of the United States. He and his wife donated $7 million to Priorities USA, a group that supported Clinton. Saban has also said that he believes Donald Trump was "a danger to America."
Saban has expressed strong opinions about certain politicians. He called Keith Ellison, who ran for a leadership role in the DNC, "clearly an anti-Semite and anti-Israel individual." He also called Senator Bernie Sanders "an anti-Israel person."
In 2006, Saban talked about his views on the Middle East. He said that he sees leaders like Ahmadinejad of Iran as a serious threat. He believes that nuclear weapons in the hands of certain religious leaders could be very dangerous for Israel. He has stated that Israel cannot allow such a situation.
In 2020, Saban worked with the UAE Ambassador to the United States, Yousef Al Otaiba. They wrote an article for the Israeli public to try and stop Israel from taking over parts of the West Bank. Their goal was to create a stronger bond between the UAE and Israel against opposing forces. These efforts are believed to have helped lead to the Abraham Accords in August 2020. These agreements, helped by President Donald Trump, made relations between Israel and the UAE normal.
Giving Back
Saban Center for Middle East Policy
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In 2002, Saban gave $13 million to start the Saban Center for Middle East Policy. This center is a "think tank" that studies foreign policy. It is located in Washington, D.C., and is part of the larger Brookings Institution. The Saban Center helps government leaders by giving them information and analysis about America's foreign policy in the Middle East. Saban asked Martin Indyk to lead the center.
Saban National Political Leadership Training Seminar
Saban also supports the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee's Saban National Political Leadership Training Seminar. These are special training events held twice a year in Washington. They teach college students how to support Israel. Up to 300 students from many different colleges learn how to speak up for Israel and get involved in politics. Important people like Senator Evan Bayh and Congressman Mark Kirk have spoken at these seminars.
See also
In Spanish: Haim Saban para niños
