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Casey Wasserman

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Casey Wasserman
Wasserman in 2020
Personal details
Born
Casey Myers

1974
SpouseLaura Wasserman
RelativesLew Wasserman (maternal grandfather)
ResidenceHollywood Hills
Alma materUCLA
OccupationExecutive, philanthropist

Casey Wasserman (born Casey Myers; 1974) is an entertainment executive and heir to media mogul Lew Wasserman.

He is the founder, CEO and Chairman of Wasserman; Chairman of LA28, the Organizing Committee for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles; President and CEO 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 the Los Angeles socialite and philanthropist Lynne Wasserman and Jack Myers (formerly Meyerowitz). His parents were divorced and he 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.[1] 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.'"[2]

Casey Wasserman obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).[3] After graduation from UCLA, he worked as an investment banker.[3]

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.[4][5][6][7]

His sister is comedian Carol Ann Leif.[8]

Sports 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.[9]

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 CEO. In 2016, Wasserman Media Group rebranded as Wasserman and is frequently referred to as "Team Wass".[10]

Olympic Games

In 2014, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti appointed Casey Wasserman to head the Los Angeles bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[11][12][13] 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.[14]

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."[15] 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.”[16][17] 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."[18][19]

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.[20]

The Wasserman Foundation is a major contributor to the Los Angeles Police Foundation (LAPF).[21] In June 2020, the "Partners" page of LAPF'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.”[22] The "Partners" page was removed from the LAPF website later that summer.[23]

Casey Wasserman is a major Democratic Party donor and Clinton Foundation trustee.[24][25][26][27] He donated to President George W. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign.[28]

In September 2002, Casey Wasserman went on a philanthropic tour of Africa hosted by financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.[29][30][31] Also on the trip were convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, President Bill Clinton, actor Kevin Spacey and others.[32][33] Wasserman also appears in Epstein's "little black book" address book published by Gawker in 2015.[34]

Other activities

Casey Wasserman sits on two of the Motion Picture and Television Fund's three boards of directors - the MPTF Corporate Board[35] and the MPTF Foundation Board.[36] In an April 13, 2009, article in the Los Angeles Times, Wasserman is quoted as having explained that the decision of the MPTF Boards to close its hospital and transfer its elderly long-term care residents would "allow [the MPTF] to thrive for generations."[37]

Wasserman has been on the Activision Blizzard board of directors since July 2015.[38]

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.[39]

See also

References

  1. ^ Mullen, Liz (10 November 2003). "Casey Wasserman". SportsBusiness Journal. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  2. ^ "Casey Wasserman's L.A. story goes far beyond 2024 Olympic bid". Los Angeles Business Journal.
  3. ^ a b Street, Scott (27 April 2006). "Back to his Roots". Dailt Bruin. Archived from the original on 27 April 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ^ "Laura Ziffren". IMDb.
  5. ^ Johnson, Ted; 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.
  6. ^ 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)
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Dagan, Carmel; Dagan, Carmel (2011-08-19). "Edie Wasserman dies at 95". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  9. ^ Farmer, Sam (20 April 2009). "Avengers to fold Arena Football League franchise". Los Angeles Times.
  10. ^ "Wasserman undergoes rebrand to reflect its evolution from just sports".
  11. ^ "About Us - Wasserman Foundation". www.wassermanfoundation.org. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  12. ^ "Speaker | Milken Institute". milkeninstitute.org. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  13. ^ Daniel, Etchells (14 January 2018). "Los Angeles 2028 chairman Wasserman named 2017 Sports Executive of the Year". Inside the Games.
  14. ^ Chavez, Chris. "2024 Olympics awarded to Paris, 2028 Games to L.A." Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  15. ^ Soshnick, Scott (31 July 2020). "L.A. Olympic Chair Wasserman Asks IOC President to Repeal Rule That Bars Advocacy". Sportico. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  16. ^ Wharton, David (31 July 2020). "L.A. Olympic officials ask IOC to allow athlete protests". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ Bruton, Michelle. "IOC President Thomas Bach: Olympics 'Are Not About Politics,' Athletes Should Be Politically Neutral At Games". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ "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)
  21. ^ "Giving | Wasserman Foundation".
  22. ^ "Los Angeles Police Foundation - Partners". web.archive.org. 2020-06-03. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  23. ^ "Los Angeles Police Foundation - Who We Are". web.archive.org. 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  24. ^ Kiefer, Peter; Kiefer, Peter (2018-10-10). "How Hollywood's Political Donors Are Changing Strategies for the Trump Era". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  25. ^ Burns, Tobias; Burns, Tobias (2016-08-22). "Casey Wasserman Mentioned in New Batch of Clinton Emails". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  26. ^ Barnes, Brooks (2013-07-06). "A Sports Agent With Hollywood in His Blood". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  27. ^ Johnson, Ted; 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.
  28. ^ "Bush-Cheney 04 (Primary) Individual Contribution". FEC.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  29. ^ 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)
  30. ^ "Jeffrey Epstein's sex plane, the Lolita Express, explained". Newsweek. 2019-07-09. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  31. ^ "The Talented Mr. Epstein". Vanity Fair. 2003-03-01. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  32. ^ 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.
  33. ^ Landon Thomas Jr (2002-10-28). "Jeffrey Epstein: International Moneyman of Mystery". New York Magazine. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  34. ^ Bryant, Nick. "Here Is Pedophile Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein's Little Black Book". Gawker. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  35. ^ "(MPTF Corporate Board)".[permanent dead link‍]
  36. ^ Foundation Board)
  37. ^ Verrier, Richard (13 April 2009). "Plan to close nursing home for film workers stirs emotions". Los Angeles Times.
  38. ^ "Activision Blizzard Board of Directors".
  39. ^ 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
TBD
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