Jerry Perenchio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jerry Perenchio
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Perenchio in January 2016
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Andrew Jerrold Perenchio
December 20, 1930 Fresno, California, U.S.
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| Died | May 23, 2017 (aged 86) Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Education | B.S. Business Administration |
| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Years active | Former Chairman and CEO of Univision (1992—2007) |
| Known for | Rules of the Road |
| Board member of | Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation (2000—17) |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts, Cal State University, Fresno |
Andrew Jerrold Perenchio (December 20, 1930 – May 23, 2017) was a very successful American businessman. He was also known for his charity work. At one point, he was the head of Univision, a large Spanish-language TV network.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jerry Perenchio's grandparents came to the United States from Italy in 1896. His grandfather started a business that shipped fresh fruits and vegetables. He also founded a winery.
Jerry grew up in Fresno, California. When he was 15, he went to a military school in Los Angeles. He graduated in 1949.
College Years
After military school, Jerry went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He studied business and graduated in 1954. He paid for his own college education.
He did this by working many different jobs. He even started a small company called Party Management. This company helped book bands and plan parties for students at UCLA.
During his last two years at UCLA, Jerry was part of the Air Force ROTC. This meant he had to serve in the Air Force after graduating. In 1955, he joined the Air Force as a pilot. He served for three years and left in 1958.
A Career in Entertainment
Jerry Perenchio had a long and varied career in the entertainment world. He worked in talent agencies, promoted big sports events, and produced TV shows and movies.
Working at MCA
In 1958, Jerry started working at MCA. This was a big company that managed artists and entertainers. He quickly moved up and became one of the youngest vice presidents. He learned many important business lessons there. He often said he got his "MBA at MCA."
He learned to always have options and never give them away. He also learned to lease things instead of selling them. He believed in staying in businesses he understood well.
Starting His Own Agency
After MCA closed its talent agency part, Jerry started his own company in 1963. It was called Perenchio Artists. Many famous musicians like Andy Williams and Johnny Mathis became his clients.
Later, he merged his company to form Chartwell Artists. This agency represented actors, directors, writers, and musicians. Jerry focused on live performances.
In 1970, Jerry helped launch the career of a young singer named Elton John. He brought Elton John from London to Los Angeles. He rented a club for two weeks to show off Elton's talent. After the first show, Elton John became famous overnight in the U.S. Chartwell Artists became one of the biggest talent agencies in the world. Jerry sold it in 1972.
Promoting Big Sports Events
Jerry Perenchio also promoted huge sports events. In 1971, he organized the "Fight of the Century" boxing match. This fight was between two undefeated champions, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Both fighters earned a lot of money. The event was a huge success, blending sports with celebrity and glamour.
Two years later, in 1973, he promoted the "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match. This was between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. It was held in the Houston Astrodome and had the largest live audience ever for a tennis match. It was also a highly watched TV broadcast.
Producing TV Shows and Movies
In 1973, Jerry joined Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin at Tandem Productions. He became the president and CEO. Tandem Productions made many popular TV shows. These included All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Maude, and Good Times.
Jerry and Norman Lear also formed T.A.T. Communications Company. They created shows like The Jeffersons and One Day at a Time. In 1982, they bought Embassy Pictures.
Jerry also produced movies. He teamed up with Bud Yorkin to make the 1982 science fiction movie Blade Runner. He also produced Driving Miss Daisy in 1989. This movie won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. In 2002, he produced Frida with his wife.
Other Business Ventures
Jerry Perenchio was involved in many other big business deals. He helped sell famous companies like Caesars Palace and A&M Records.
He was also a pioneer in "pay television." In 1977, he co-founded ON-TV. This service offered movies, sports, and concerts for a fee. It became the largest "over-the-air" pay TV network in the world.
He also owned Loews Theaters for a few years. He sold the movie theater chain for a much higher price than he bought it for.
Leading Univision
Jerry Perenchio's biggest project was buying the Univision television network in 1992. He partnered with a Mexican media leader, Emilio Azcárraga Milmo. They bought Univision for $550 million.
Jerry became the chairman and CEO of the company. Over 15 years, Univision grew a lot. It bought more TV and radio stations. It became the most popular Spanish-language network in the U.S. Sometimes, it even had more viewers than English-language networks.
In 2007, Jerry sold Univision Communications for $13.5 billion.
Personal Life
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Jerry Perenchio was married three times. He had one son and two adopted daughters. He also had many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In 1986, Jerry bought a famous mansion in Bel Air called Chartwell. This house was known as the Clampett family mansion in The Beverly Hillbillies TV show. He changed the house to look more like an old French castle. He also bought many nearby properties, making his estate almost 13 acres large.
Jerry Perenchio passed away on May 23, 2017, at his home. He was 86 years old and died from lung cancer.
Philanthropy
Jerry Perenchio was a very generous person. In 2014, he announced that he would give much of his art collection to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This collection included valuable paintings by famous artists like Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso. The art was worth more than $500 million.
A former Los Angeles County Supervisor said that Jerry was one of the most generous people in the community. He gave a lot and asked for very little in return.
Politics
Jerry Perenchio was a lifelong member of the Republican Party. He supported groups and initiatives that helped the Republican Party. He helped with Senator John McCain's presidential campaign in 2008. He also supported Carly Fiorina's campaign in 2016.
Awards and Honors
From 2000, Jerry Perenchio served on the board of trustees for The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. In 2011, he received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts Degree from Cal State University, Fresno. This was given to him at the school's 100-year anniversary graduation ceremony.
