Ross Levinsohn (born c. 1964)

Interim CEO of Yahoo!.[74]

What is Ross Levinsohn (born c. 1964) known for?

Ross B. Levinsohn, an accomplished American media executive, was born around 1962/1963 in New York City, U.S. He spent his early life in Tenafly, New Jersey, graduating from Tenafly High School and later from American University with a bachelor's degree in broadcast communications.

Levinsohn's career in the media industry is impressive. He commenced his professional journey in 1989 at HBO, working in marketing and promotions for Time Warner Sports. In 1996, he joined SportsLine USA in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, progressing to producing a syndicated television show and radio programming. He then helped launch the portal division at Alta Vista in 1999. His journey took him to News Corporation, where he was named president of Fox Interactive Media and controversially oversaw the acquisition of MySpace in 2004. He resigned from News Corp. in 2006 and joined the venture capital firm Velocity Interactive Group in 2007.

Levinsohn had a noteworthy tenure at Yahoo, serving as executive vice president of the Americas in 2010 and interim CEO in 2012. During this time, Yahoo made substantial efforts to expand its media presence, including partnerships with notable figures such as Robert Redford and Tom Hanks. After leaving Yahoo, he joined Guggenheim Digital Media as CEO and subsequently became Scout Media's executive chairman. However, Scout Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2016. Later on, Levinsohn was named publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times in 2017 but was placed on unpaid leave in 2018 amidst allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

Despite the controversies, his achievements remain significant, with top executive positions at noteworthy companies like The Arena Group, Sports Illustrated, Fox Interactive, and Tribune Publishing. He assumed the CEO position at Sports Illustrated in 2019 and at The Arena Group in 2020, contributing to his rich legacy in the media and technology industry.

Links for further reading: Ross Levinsohn's Profile on Forbes, Ross Levinsohn's Profile on Bloomberg'.