Sumner Redstone

Sumner M. Redstone, born Sumner Murray Rothstein, May 27, 1923 in Boston, Massachusetts, is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Viacom.

Related Topics:
May 27 - 1923 - Boston - Massachusetts - Chairman of the Board - Chief Executive Officer - Viacom

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He attended the prestigious Boston Latin School and graduated at the top of his class, which won him a position at Harvard College. He completed his B.A. in three years when the Board of Overseers of Harvard conferred him his degree. Afterward, Redstone served in World War II, decoding Japanese messages for the United States Army. Upon completion of his Army service, he worked in Washington, D.C. and attended Georgetown University Law School. He chose to transfer into Harvard Law School and received his LL.B from that institution.

Related Topics:
Boston Latin School - Harvard College - World War II - Japan - United States Army - Washington, D.C. - Georgetown University Law School - Harvard Law School

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After completing law school, Redstone worked primarily in Washington, D.C., working at first for the U.S. Department of Justice in San Francisco and then going into private practice. However, after a few years in practice, he chose to join his father's theater chain management operation, what is now known as National Amusements.

Related Topics:
U.S. Department of Justice - National Amusements

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As Redstone grew National Amusements, he believed that content would become more important than distribution mechanisms. There would always exist channels of distribution (albeit in varied forms), but content was always going to be necessary (his famous quote is "content is king!"). He then made investments in Columbia Pictures, Twentieth-Century Fox, Orion Pictures, and Paramount Pictures, all of which turned over huge profits when he chose to sell the stock in the early 1980s.

Related Topics:
Investment - Columbia Pictures - Twentieth-Century Fox - Orion Pictures - Paramount Pictures - Stock

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