A. Jerrold (Jerry) Perenchio (born December 20, 1930) is an American billionaire businessman and philanthropist. He is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Univision.
Early life
Perenchio is the grandson of Italian immigrants Giovanni (John) Batiste Perenchio and Madeline D’Adda, who came to the United States in 1896 from the northern Italian village of Pavone. His grandfather established the Fresno Grape Exchange, built a packinghouse that shipped fresh fruits and vegetables to the Great Lakes region, and later – at the age of 60 – founded the Crestview Winery. Perenchio was raised in Fresno until the age of fifteen when he was sent to Black Foxe Military Institute in Los Angeles for three-and-a-half years, graduating in 1949. In the fall of that year he enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and attended for five years, completing his B.S. in Business in 1954. He financed his own way through college, first with a series of odd jobs and then by establishing a small company – Party Management – that booked bands and catered parties at UCLA and the University of Southern California.
During his last two years at UCLA, Perenchio was a member of the Air Force ROTC, which required that he serve a three-year term in the Air Force after graduating. In 1955 he entered the Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant and earned his wings as a single-engine jet fighter pilot. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and received an honorable discharge in 1958.
Summary
| Jerry Perenchio | |
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Perenchio in January 2016
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| Born | Andrew Jerrold Perenchio December 20, 1930 Fresno, California, U.S. |
| 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 |
| Net worth | US$2.6 billion (February 2016) |
| Board member of | The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation (2000-Present) |
| Children | 1 son, 2 daughters |
| Parent(s) | Andrew Perenchio, Dorothea Harvey Perenchio |
| Awards | Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts, Cal State University, Fresno |
Jerry Perenchio net worth: Jerry Perenchio was a California-born entertainment executive who had a net worth of $2.7 billion dollars. Jerry Perenchio was most widely recognized as the former CEO of Univision, the largest Spanish network in the US. He was also the former agent for Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor, among other stars. He produced many monumental sports events including the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobbie Briggs, and the 1971 “Fight of the Century” between Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier He was born Andrew Jerrold Perenchio on December 20, 1930 in California. Jerry was a very young and talented young man when he went to Los Angeles to pursue a career as Hollywood talent agent. Working for MCA is where he landed the opportunity to represent movie stars as Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor. He not only represented A-listers, but also co-promoted the 1971 World Heavyweight bout aka “Fight of the Century” between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden. Furthermore, he produced the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobbie Briggs, and was a producer of popular shows like “The Jeffersons” and “Diff’rent Strokes.” Parenchio united with “All in the Family” producer Norman Lear to form Embassy Communications, which they eventually sold to Coca-Cola for $485 million in 1985. Next, he made a wise move reinvesting those earnings in television. Along with two Latin American media partners, Perenchio bought Univision for $550 million in 1992, and up until his death he held a 16% stake worth an estimated $1.3 billion. He was a longtime Republican donor and was a big-time backer of Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election. As a great philanthropist, he has supported numerous causes. He donated $4.8 million to the UCLA Foundation in 2010 and $1 million to the Los Angeles Opera in 2011. Jerry Perenchio died on May 23, 2017 at the age of 86.
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