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Casey Wasserman
Wasserman in 2020
Personal details
Born
Casey Myers

(1974-06-28) June 28, 1974 (age 50), Los Angeles County, California, U.S.[1]
SpouseLaura Wasserman
ChildrenTwo
RelativesLew Wasserman (maternal grandfather)
Residence(s)Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materUCLA
OccupationExecutive, philanthropist

Casey Wasserman (born Casey Myers; June 28, 1974)[1] is an American entertainment executive.

He is the founder, chief executive officer and chairman of Wasserman; Chairman of LA28, the Organizing Committee for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles; president and chief executive officer of the Wasserman Foundation; and chairman of the Los Angeles Super Bowl Host Committee for Super Bowl LVI in 2022.

Family background and education

Casey Wasserman is the son of Jack Norman Myers (formerly Meyerowitz) and Los Angeles socialite and philanthropist Lynne Wasserman. His sister is actress/comedian Carol Ann Leif (born December 3, 1966).[2] Jack Myers and reputed mobster Chris Petti were convicted in 1990 of money-laundering.[3][4]

His parents were divorced and, in 1995, Casey took his mother's maiden name, which is also the last name of his famous grandfather, MCA studio executive Lew Wasserman, whom he credits as his greatest teacher. The two would have breakfast together every Saturday and Sunday from the time when Casey was a child until the elder Wasserman's death in 2002.[5]

The younger Wasserman said, "He was my most valuable resource in terms of information. In broad terms he knew what he wanted to do and I followed in his footsteps." According to a quote from an interview with his father Jack Myers: "My son changed his name to Wasserman", Jack Myers told author Dennis McDougal, who wrote The Last Mogul, a biography of Lew Wasserman. "I said, 'Casey, first of all everyone will think you're a fool if you do that. You look like an idiot'."[6]

Casey Wasserman obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).[7] After graduation from UCLA, he worked as an investment banker.[7]

He is married to movie music supervisor Laura Wasserman, whose grandfather, Paul Ziffren, was a Democratic Party leader and chaired the Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics.[8][9][10][11] They have two children, Emmet and Stella.[12]

Sports and talent business

In 1998, he purchased the Los Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League (AFL). He paid about $5 million for the franchise rights. Despite his youth, he was elected chairman of the league. In 2002 he negotiated a groundbreaking national television partnership between the league and NBC television, as well as the collective bargaining agreement with its players. On Saturday, April 18, 2009, Wasserman sent an email to AFL's de facto commissioner informing him of his decision to terminate the L.A. Avengers' membership in the Arena Football League.[13]

The same year he purchased the football team, Casey Wasserman started Wasserman (then-called Wasserman Media Group), a sports marketing and talent management company, of which he remains chief executive officer. In 2016, Wasserman Media Group rebranded as Wasserman and is frequently referred to as "Team Wass".[14]

In March 2021, Wasserman acquired Paradigm Talent Agency's North American music assets and within weeks launched Wasserman Music, a live music division of Wasserman.[15][16]

Olympic Games

In 2014, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti appointed Casey Wasserman to head the Los Angeles bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[17][18][19] The International Olympic Committee (IOC) ultimately awarded the 2024 Summer Olympics to Paris in 2017 and chose Los Angeles as host for the 2028 Summer Olympics.[20]

On December 11, 2018, Wasserman and Garcetti were criticized by Larry Nassar survivors' attorney John Manly for their silence on the USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal and continued partnership with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC, then-called United States Olympic Committee [USOC]).[21] Wasserman and Garcetti issued statements condemning Nassar's crimes and those who abetted him, and defending the response by Olympic leadership.[21]

On June 19, 2020, Wasserman reportedly wrote IOC President Thomas Bach to advocate for changes to be made to the controversial Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter which states: "No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas."[22] In the letter, Wasserman urged the IOC to amend the guidelines that support Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter to allow anti-racist advocacy on the Olympic stage and stated “Being anti-racist is not political.”[23][24] President Bach refuted the suggestion in an op-ed for The Guardian titled "The Olympics are about diversity and unity, not politics and profit. Boycotts don't work."[25][26]

Critics of the 2028 Summer Olympics such as the NOlympics LA coalition have argued that Los Angeles' large homeless population will be removed from city streets in the lead-up to the Olympic Games Ceremony, which Casey Wasserman affirmed was "a difficult situation" but could take place.[27][28][29] In a November 18, 2021 KPCC interview, AirTalk host Larry Mantle asked Wasserman to expound on the concerns; Wasserman replied, "We're not responsible for solving homeless. We're responsible for delivering the Olympic Games as a private enterprise in 2028."[30]

Philanthrophy

Casey Wasserman acts as president and chief executive officer of the Wasserman Foundation, a charitable organization founded by Lew and Edie Wasserman in 1952.[31]

The Wasserman Foundation is a major contributor to the Los Angeles Police Foundation.[32] In June 2020, the "Partners" page of the foundation's website featured Casey Wasserman's name and photo with a quote: “The Wasserman Foundation has been a proud supporter of the Los Angeles Police Foundation and will continue to provide funding for years to come. In the wake of government budget cuts, I hope my fellow philanthropists will join us in providing funds for additional equipment needs.”[33] The "Partners" page was removed from the foundation's website later that summer.[34]

Wasserman is a major Democratic Party donor, Clinton Foundation trustee, and LBJ Foundation trustee.[35][36][37][38] He donated to President George W. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign.[39]

In September 2002, Casey Wasserman went on a philanthropic tour of Africa hosted by financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.[40][41][42] Also on the trip were convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, President Bill Clinton, actor Kevin Spacey and others.[43][44] Wasserman also appears in Epstein's "little black book" address book published by Gawker in 2015.[45]

Casey Wasserman is on the Prize Advisory Board of the Robin Hood Foundation, a venture philanthropy organization founded by Paul Tudor Jones, Peter Borish and Glenn Dubin.[46][47][48]

Wasserman is a member of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) board of trustees.[49]

Other activities

Casey Wasserman sits on boards of directors at the Motion Picture and Television Fund (MPTF) and Vox Media.[50][51]

Since 2015 Wasserman has been on the Activision Blizzard board of directors, where he serves as one of three members on the board's Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.[52] The board has faced criticism for its support of chief executive officer Bobby Kotick following a sexual abuse scandal reported by The Wall Street Journal in November 2021, in which Kotick buried allegations of sexual abuse, including alleged rapes.[53][54][55][56]

In June 2020, Casey Wasserman sold his Beverly Hills home to media mogul David Geffen for $68 million, and in August 2020, Wasserman purchased a new home in the Hollywood Hills for $23.6 million.[57]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Casey W Myers, Born 06/28/1974 in California". Californiabirthindex.org. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  2. ^ "Carol A Leif, Born 12/03/1966 in California". Californiabirthindex.org. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  3. ^ Alan Abrahamson (6 November 1990). "Alleged Courier for Silberman Gets Probation : Courts: Banker Jack Norman Myers, who testified in money-laundering case of Silberman and Petti, avoids jail in plea bargain". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  4. ^ Dagan, Carmel (2011-08-19). "Edie Wasserman dies at 95". Variety.com. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  5. ^ Mullen, Liz (November 10, 2003). "Casey Wasserman". SportsBusiness Journal. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  6. ^ "Casey Wasserman's L.A. story goes far beyond 2024 Olympic bid". Los Angeles Business Journal.
  7. ^ a b Street, Scott (27 April 2006). "Back to his Roots". Dailt Bruin. Archived from the original on April 27, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ^ "Laura Ziffren". IMDb.
  9. ^ Johnson, Ted (2016-10-13). "Hillary Clinton's Final L.A. Campaign Fundraiser Will Be at Site Steeped in Hollywood-D.C. History". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  10. ^ Johnson, Dominic Patten,Ted; Patten, Dominic; Johnson, Ted (2020-09-05). "Kamala Harris' Big Hollywood Virtual Fundraiser Rakes In Big Big Bucks; Ryan Murphy, Dana Walden, Chrisette Hudlin, & Laura Shell Organized, Katzenberg & JJ Abrams Co-Hosted". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-01-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ Reich, Kenneth (June 2, 1991). "Paul Ziffren, Democratic Power in State, Dies at 77 : Politics: He was credited with rebuilding the party in the '50s. He also was board chairman for '84 Olympics". Los Angeles Times.
  12. ^ "Laura Wasserman: From Hollywood to High Point Leaving a Los Angeles Legacy". Sidelines Magazine. 2016-06-21. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
  13. ^ Farmer, Sam (20 April 2009). "Avengers to fold Arena Football League franchise". Los Angeles Times.
  14. ^ "Wasserman undergoes rebrand to reflect its evolution from just sports". The Drum. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  15. ^ Aswad, Jem (2021-03-17). "Casey Wasserman to Acquire Paradigm Agency's North American Music Assets". Variety. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  16. ^ Aswad, Cynthia Littleton,Jem; Littleton, Cynthia; Aswad, Jem (2021-04-21). "Casey Wasserman Completes Paradigm Purchase, Unveils Wasserman Music Agency". Variety. Retrieved 2022-02-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ "About Us - Wasserman Foundation". Wassermanfoundation.org. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  18. ^ "Speaker | Milken Institute". milkeninstitute.org. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  19. ^ Daniel, Etchells (14 January 2018). "Los Angeles 2028 chairman Wasserman named 2017 Sports Executive of the Year". Inside the Games.
  20. ^ Chavez, Chris. "2024 Olympics awarded to Paris, 2028 Games to L.A." Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  21. ^ a b "Nassar survivors attorney calls on LA 2028, Los Angeles put USOC partnership on hold". Orange County Register. 2018-12-12. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  22. ^ Soshnick, Scott (31 July 2020). "L.A. Olympic Chair Wasserman Asks IOC President to Repeal Rule That Bars Advocacy". Sportico. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  23. ^ Wharton, David (31 July 2020). "L.A. Olympic officials ask IOC to allow athlete protests". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  24. ^ Iveson, Ali (1 August 2020). "Los Angeles 2028 chief Wasserman joins calls for Rule 50 to be amended". Inside the Games. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  25. ^ Bruton, Michelle. "IOC President Thomas Bach: Olympics 'Are Not About Politics,' Athletes Should Be Politically Neutral At Games". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  26. ^ Bach, Thomas (2020-10-23). "The Olympics are about unity and diversity, not politics and profit. Boycotts don't work | Thomas Bach". the Guardian. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  27. ^ Chandler, Jenna (2018-07-12). "How will LA treat the homeless when it hosts the Olympics in 2028?". Curbed LA. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
  28. ^ Wharton, David; Smith, Dakota (November 17, 2021). "2028 L.A. Olympics: Agreement outlines key issues but final price tag remains unclear". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  29. ^ Wharton, David (November 18, 2021). "Q&A: How will the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles affect me?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  30. ^ "Gas Prices Are Soaring. Why? And What Could It Mean For The Biden Administration And Dems?". Kpcc.org. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
  31. ^ "The Wasserman Foundation - About the Foundation". 9 December 2006. Archived from the original on 9 December 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  32. ^ "Giving | Wasserman Foundation". Wassermanfoundation.org. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  33. ^ "Los Angeles Police Foundation - Partners". 2020-06-03. Archived from the original on 2020-06-03. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  34. ^ "Los Angeles Police Foundation - Who We Are". 2020-09-22. Archived from the original on 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  35. ^ Burns, Tobias (2016-08-22). "Casey Wasserman Mentioned in New Batch of Clinton Emails". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  36. ^ Barnes, Brooks (2013-07-06). "A Sports Agent With Hollywood in His Blood". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  37. ^ Johnson, Ted (2016-10-13). "Hillary Clinton's Final L.A. Campaign Fundraiser Will Be at Site Steeped in Hollywood-D.C. History". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  38. ^ "Board of Trustees- LBJ Foundation | LBJ Presidential Library". Lbjlibrary.org. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  39. ^ "Bush-Cheney 04 (Primary) Individual Contribution". Fec.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  40. ^ Stieb, Adam K. Raymond, Matt (2019-07-10). "Jeffrey Epstein's Rolodex: A Guide to His Famous Friends and Acquaintances". Intelligencer. Retrieved 2021-12-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  41. ^ "Jeffrey Epstein's sex plane, the Lolita Express, explained". Newsweek. 2019-07-09. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  42. ^ "The Talented Mr. Epstein". Vanity Fair. 2003-03-01. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  43. ^ Wang, Angela. "We compiled every known flight made by Jeffrey Epstein's fleet of private planes. Search them all for the first time". Business Insider. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
  44. ^ Landon Thomas Jr (2002-10-28). "Jeffrey Epstein: International Moneyman of Mystery". New York Magazine. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  45. ^ Bryant, Nick. "Here Is Pedophile Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein's Little Black Book". Gawker. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  46. ^ "Governance". Robin Hood. 2016-10-09. Archived from the original on 2017-06-28. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
  47. ^ Cohan, William D. (September 4, 2019). "For Billionaire Glenn Dubin, the Epstein Saga Isn't Over". Vanity Fair. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  48. ^ "Where Does The Jeffrey Epstein Child Sex Abuse Case Go From Here?". Time. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  49. ^ "About LACMA". LACMA. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  50. ^ "About Us". MPTF. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  51. ^ Jarvey, Natalie (2014-12-10). "Casey Wasserman Joins Vox Media Board of Directors (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  52. ^ "Activision Blizzard | Board of Directors". Activisionblizzard.com. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  53. ^ Needleman, Kirsten Grind, Ben Fritz and Sarah E. (2021-11-16). "Activision CEO Bobby Kotick Knew for Years About Sexual-Misconduct Allegations at Videogame Giant". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2022-01-30.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  54. ^ Peters, Jay (2021-11-16). "Activision Blizzard board rallies around embattled CEO hours after damning report". The Verge. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  55. ^ Good, Owen S. (2021-11-19). "Activision leadership now under fire from Xbox, PlayStation bosses". Polygon. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  56. ^ Plunkett, Luke (November 17, 2021). "Let's Meet The Board Members Supporting Besieged Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick". Kotaku. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  57. ^ Flemming, Jack (Aug 20, 2020). "Casey Wasserman drops $23.6 million on a futuristic mansion in the Bird Streets". Los Angeles Times.
Sporting positions
Preceded by President of Organizing Committee for Summer Olympic Games
2028 		Succeeded by
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