Sumner Redstone
Sumner Murray Redstone (né Rothstein; May 27, 1923 – August 11, 2020) was an American billionaire businessman and media magnate. He was the founder and chairman of the second incarnation of Viacom, chairman of CBS Corporation (both companies were dissolved in 2019, a year before Redstone's death), and the majority owner and chairman of the National Amusements theater chain.
Sumner Redstone | |
|---|---|
Redstone in 2001 | |
| Born | Sumner Murray Rothstein May 27, 1923 Boston, Massachusetts, US |
| Died | August 11, 2020 (aged 97) Los Angeles, California, US |
| Burial place | Sharon Memorial Park Sharon, Massachusetts |
| Education | Boston Latin School |
| Alma mater | Harvard University (AB, LLB) |
| Occupation(s) | Chairman of National Amusements Chairman Emeritus of ViacomCBS |
| Spouses |
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| Children | Brent Redstone Shari Redstone |
| Parent(s) | Belle Ostrovsky Michael Redstone |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1944–1945 |
| Rank | First lieutenant |
| Unit | Signals Intelligence Service |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Until his death, Redstone was majority voting shareholder of the media conglomerate ViacomCBS, the parent company of the Paramount Pictures film studio, the CBS television network, and various cable networks.
According to Forbes, as of April 2020, he was worth US$2.6 billion.
Redstone was formerly the executive chairman of both CBS and Viacom. In February 2016, at age 92, Redstone resigned both chairmanships following a court-ordered examination by a geriatric psychiatrist. He was ultimately succeeded by Les Moonves at CBS and Philippe Dauman at Viacom.