History of Barry Diller in Timeline
Barry Diller is an American billionaire businessman renowned for his influential role in the media and internet industries. He currently serves as chairman and senior executive of both IAC and Expedia Group. Diller's career is marked by his entrepreneurial ventures, most notably founding the Fox Broadcasting Company in collaboration with Rupert Murdoch, and USA Broadcasting. His significant contributions to the television industry were recognized with his induction into the Television Hall of Fame in 1994, solidifying his legacy as a media mogul.
February 2, 1942: Barry Diller Born
On February 2, 1942, Barry Charles Diller was born. He is an American billionaire businessman.
1964: Hired as Assistant by Elton Rule at ABC
In 1964, Barry Diller was hired as an assistant by Elton Rule, then West Coast head of ABC, who was promoted to network President at the same time, taking Diller to New York City.
1965: Promoted to Vice President of Development at ABC
In 1965, Barry Diller was promoted to Vice President of Development at ABC, where he created the ABC Movie of the Week, pioneering the concept of the made-for-television movie.
1973: Made Vice President of Prime Time Programming
In 1973, Barry Diller was made vice president of ABC's prime time programming.
1974: Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures
In 1974, Barry Diller became the chairman and chief executive officer of Paramount Pictures Corporation.
1976: Laverne & Shirley
In 1976, while Diller was the chairman and chief executive officer of Paramount Pictures Corporation, the studio produced the television program Laverne & Shirley.
1977: Saturday Night Fever
In 1977, while Diller was the chairman and chief executive officer of Paramount Pictures Corporation, the studio produced the movie Saturday Night Fever.
1977: Kay Koplovitz at USA Networks
Since 1977, Kay Koplovitz had the chairman and CEO positions at USA Networks.
1978: Taxi and Grease
In 1978, while Diller was the chairman and chief executive officer of Paramount Pictures Corporation, the studio produced the television program Taxi and the movie Grease.
1980: Ordinary People
In 1980, while Diller was the chairman and chief executive officer of Paramount Pictures Corporation, the studio produced the movie Ordinary People.
1981: USA Network Ownership Agreement
In 1981, Barry Diller put together the USA Network ownership agreement between Paramount, Time Inc., and MCA, convincing Madison Square Garden management not to sell their interests in the network.
1981: Raiders of the Lost Ark
In 1981, while Diller was the chairman and chief executive officer of Paramount Pictures Corporation, the studio produced the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark.
1982: Cheers
In 1982, while Diller was the chairman and chief executive officer of Paramount Pictures Corporation, the studio produced the television program Cheers.
1983: Head of Gulf+Western Leisure Group
In 1983, Barry Diller became head of Gulf+Western's leisure group, including Paramount, Madison Square Garden, Famous Music, and Simon & Schuster.
1983: Terms of Endearment
In 1983, while Diller was the chairman and chief executive officer of Paramount Pictures Corporation, the studio produced the movie Terms of Endearment.
October 1984: Chairman and CEO of 20th Century Fox
In October 1984, Barry Diller became chairman and chief executive officer of 20th Century Fox.
1984: End of Tenure at Paramount Pictures
In 1984, Barry Diller's 10-year tenure as chairman and chief executive officer of Paramount Pictures Corporation ended.
February 24, 1992: Diller Announces Departure from Fox
On February 24, 1992, Barry Diller announced that he would leave Fox within three months, expressing a desire to "own my own store".
April 1992: Leaves 20th Century Fox
In April 1992, Barry Diller left his position as chairman and chief executive officer of 20th Century Fox.
December 11, 1992: Plans for QVC by Diller
On December 11, 1992, New York Times journalist Calvin Sims noted that Barry Diller sought "to turn the shopping channel into an on-line entertainment and merchandising service in which the subscriber and the cable company can freely interact" with QVC.
1992: Home Shopping Network Split
In 1992, the Home Shopping Network (HSN) split from Silver King Broadcasting.
1994: Inducted into Television Hall of Fame
In 1994, Barry Diller was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
August 1995: Acquires Silver King Broadcasting Assets
In August 1995, Barry Diller acquired the assets of Silver King Broadcasting.
March 1996: Ownership of Silver King Broadcasting Finalized
In March 1996, Barry Diller's ownership of Silver King Broadcasting was finalized.
August 1996: Merger Agreement with Home Shopping Network
In August 1996, it was agreed that Silver King Broadcasting, under Diller's leadership, would buy back the Home Shopping Network (HSN) and that the two companies would merge.
December 1996: Silver King Acquires Stake in HSN, Renames Company
In December 1996, Silver King Broadcasting acquired an 80% stake in HSN for $1.3 billion worth of stock and subsequently changed its name to HSN, Inc.
October 1997: Acquisition of USA Network and Universal TV Businesses
In October 1997, Barry Diller announced that he would be acquiring the USA Network and other Seagram-owned Universal TV businesses, including the Sci Fi Channel, for $4.1 billion, to be owned by his Home Shopping Network.
1997: Eisner's confidential letter
In 1997, Michael Eisner sent a confidential letter to The Walt Disney Company board of directors during its search for a successor to Eisner, as reported in James B. Stewart's 2005 book DisneyWar.
February 1998: Finalization of USA Network Purchase
In February 1998, Barry Diller's purchase of the USA Network was finalized.
April 1998: Chairman and CEO of USA Networks
In April 1998, Barry Diller assumed the chairman and CEO positions at USA Networks, previously held by Kay Koplovitz since 1977.
May 1998: WWF attempt to remove from USA Network thwarted
In May 1998, Barry Diller and Universal TV executive Bonnie Hammer thwarted an attempt by Kay Koplovitz and other USA Network executives to remove the WWF from the USA Network.
December 2001: Involvement with USA Network Ends
In December 2001, Barry Diller's involvement with the USA Network ended when the Vivendi sale was announced. He retained assets of the Home Shopping Network and acquired Internet assets.
2001: Marriage to Diane von Fürstenberg
In 2001, Barry Diller married fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg.
2002: Board of Coca-Cola
Since 2002, Barry Diller has been on the board of Coca-Cola.
2003: Warns Against Media Consolidation
In 2003, on the PBS program NOW with Bill Moyers, Barry Diller voiced a strong warning against media consolidation.
2005: Highest-Paid Executive
Barry Diller was "the highest-paid executive [of fiscal year 2005]", according to a report by The New York Times on October 26, 2006, with total compensation in excess of $295 million (mostly from stock).
2005: IAC/InterActiveCorp Acquired Ask.com
In 2005, IAC/InterActiveCorp acquired Ask.com, marking a strategic move into the Internet search category.
October 26, 2006: Highest-Paid Executive
According to a report by The New York Times on October 26, 2006, Barry Diller was "the highest-paid executive [of fiscal year 2005]", with total compensation in excess of $295 million (mostly from stock).
2007: IAC Building Opens
In 2007, the new headquarters for the IAC/InterActiveCorp, the IAC Building designed by Frank Gehry, opened in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood.
December 2, 2010: Stepped down as CEO of IAC/InterActiveCorp
On December 2, 2010, Barry Diller stepped down as chief executive officer of IAC/InterActiveCorp.
2011: Donation to the High Line Park
In 2011, the Diller-von Fürstenberg Family Foundation announced a donation of $20 million to support the completion of the High Line park in Manhattan.
May 2012: Profiled by New York Magazine
In May 2012, New York magazine described Barry Diller as a "second generation Austrian Jewish kid".
2012: Investor in Aereo
In 2012, Barry Diller became an investor in the streaming service company Aereo.
2012: Donation to the Hollywood Fund
In 2012, Diller donated $30 million to the Hollywood Fund, which provides health and social care to retired individuals from the show-business world.
2012: Support for Obama's Reelection
In 2012, Diller stated his support for Barack Obama's reelection campaign despite misgivings with aspects of the Obama administration's record. He also expressed his approval of then-Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg.
2013: Co-producing Broadway Shows
Since 2013, Barry Diller has co-produced more than ten Broadway shows in partnership with Scott Rudin, including To Kill A Mockingbird, West Side Story, and others. IAC Films has also backed numerous films produced by Rudin.
June 2014: Aereo Goes Out of Business
In June 2014, Aereo went out of business after the United States Supreme Court ruled that its method of streaming media content violated copyright laws. Barry Diller was an investor in the streaming service company Aereo in 2012.
2015: Donation to Little Island
In 2015, Diller and his wife committed to donate $260 million toward Little Island, a public park and performance space on a reconstructed pier 55 in the Hudson River in New York City.
2015: Criticism of Donald Trump
In 2015, Diller criticized Republican candidate Donald Trump's impact on political discourse and said he would leave the country if Trump was elected.
October 2019: Fortune in Technology Companies
In October 2019, Barry Diller had a $4.2 billion fortune in technology companies, after investing early on in companies such as Match.com and Vimeo.
December 2019: Expedia's CFO Stepped Down
In December 2019, Expedia's CFO stepped down.
June 2020: Net Worth Estimated
As of June 2020, Barry Diller's estimated net worth was $4.2 billion.
2020: Reservations Over Elizabeth Warren
During the 2020 Democratic primary, Diller expressed reservations over Elizabeth Warren, but stated he would support her over Trump if she was nominated.
2020: Takes Over Expedia Operations
In early 2020, Barry Diller took over Expedia's day-to-day operations alongside the vice chairman Peter Kern, after the company's CFO stepped down in December 2019. Expedia's shares plummeted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020: Parent Company
Until 2020, Match Group, Vimeo and CollegeHumor were owned by IAC/InterActiveCorp.
May 21, 2021: Completion of Little Island
On May 21, 2021, Little Island, a public park and performance space on a reconstructed pier 55 in the Hudson River in New York City, was completed.
March 9, 2022: Insider Trading Investigation
On March 9, 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported that Barry Diller, David Geffen, and Alex Von Furstenberg were being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the United States Department of Justice for insider trading of options on Activision Blizzard.
2024: Call to Replace Biden
In 2024, Diller was among those who called for U.S. President Joe Biden to end his bid for re-election after his poor debate performance and other disconcerting signs on the campaign trail. Diller along with fellow billionaire Reid Hoffman said that Kamala Harris should replace FTC chair Lina Khan in a potential Harris administration.
May 20, 2025: Publication of Memoir
On May 20, 2025, Simon & Schuster published Barry Diller's memoir titled Who Knew.
2025: Diller's Memoir Release
In 2025, Diller plans to release his memoir titled "Who Knew", in which he writes about his homosexual relationships.
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