History of Barry Diller in Timeline
Barry Diller is an American billionaire businessman prominent in the entertainment and internet industries. He is the chairman and senior executive of IAC and Expedia Group. Notably, Diller founded the Fox Broadcasting Company in partnership with Rupert Murdoch, establishing a major force in television broadcasting. He also founded USA Broadcasting, further solidifying his influence in media. Diller's accomplishments have earned him recognition, including his induction into the Television Hall of Fame in 1994, marking his significant contributions to the television landscape and the broader business world.
February 2, 1942: Barry Diller's Birth
On February 2, 1942, Barry Charles Diller was born. He is an American billionaire businessman.
1964: Hired as an assistant by Elton Rule
In 1964, Barry Diller was hired as an assistant by Elton Rule, then West Coast head of ABC, who was promoted to network President and took Diller to New York City.
1965: Promotion to Vice President of Development
In 1965, Barry Diller was promoted to Vice President of Development at ABC. In this position, Diller created the ABC Movie of the Week, pioneering the concept of the made-for-television movie.
1973: Vice President of ABC's prime time programming
In 1973, Diller was made vice president of ABC's prime time programming.
1974: Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures Corporation
In 1974, Diller became the chairman and chief executive officer of Paramount Pictures Corporation.
1976: Paramount produced Laverne & Shirley
In 1976, under Diller's leadership, Paramount Pictures produced hit television programs such as Laverne & Shirley.
1977: Paramount produced Saturday Night Fever
In 1977, under Diller's leadership, Paramount Pictures produced Saturday Night Fever.
1977: Kay Koplovitz at USA Networks
Kay Koplovitz runs USA Networks since 1977.
1978: Paramount produced Taxi and Grease
In 1978, under Diller's leadership, Paramount Pictures produced Taxi and Grease.
1980: Paramount produced Ordinary People
In 1980, under Diller's leadership, Paramount Pictures produced Ordinary People.
1981: USA Network ownership agreement
In 1981, Diller put together the USA Network ownership agreement between Paramount, Time Inc. and MCA which convinced Madison Square Garden management to not sell their interests in the network.
1981: Paramount produced Raiders of the Lost Ark and Reds
In 1981, under Diller's leadership, Paramount Pictures produced Raiders of the Lost Ark and Reds.
1982: Paramount produced Cheers
In 1982, under Diller's leadership, Paramount Pictures produced Cheers.
1983: Head of Gulf+Western's 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: Paramount produced Terms of Endearment
In 1983, under Diller's leadership, Paramount Pictures produced Terms of Endearment.
October 1984: Chairman and CEO of 20th Century Fox
In October 1984, Barry Diller became the chairman and chief executive officer of 20th Century Fox.
1984: End of tenure as chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures Corporation
In 1984, Diller's 10-year tenure as chairman and chief executive officer of Paramount Pictures Corporation ended.
February 24, 1992: Announcement of Departure from Fox
On February 24, 1992, Barry Diller announced that he would leave Fox within a three-month period, citing a desire to "own my own store".
April 1992: Departure from 20th Century Fox
In April 1992, Barry Diller left his positions as chairman and chief executive officer of 20th Century Fox.
December 11, 1992: Diller's plan for QVC
On December 11, 1992, New York Times journalist Calvin Sims noted that 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".
1992: Home Shopping Network split from Silver King Broadcasting
In 1992, The Home Shopping Network, a former Silver King asset, split from the company.
1994: Induction into the Television Hall of Fame
In 1994, Barry Diller was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
August 1995: Acquisition of Silver King Broadcasting assets
In August 1995, Barry Diller acquired the assets of Silver King Broadcasting.
March 1996: Finalization of ownership of Silver Broadcasting
In March 1996, Barry Diller's ownership of Silver Broadcasting would be finalized.
August 1996: Agreement to buy back HSN and merge
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: Acquisition of HSN and name change
In December 1996, Silver King Broadcasting acquired an 80% stake in HSN for $1.3 billion worth of stock, and afterwards changed its own name to HSN, Inc.
October 1997: Acquisition of USA Network and other Universal TV businesses
In October 1997, it was announced that Barry Diller would be acquiring the USA Network and other Seagram-owned Universal TV businesses for $4.1 billion.
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 the USA Network purchase
In February 1998, Barry Diller's purchase of the USA Network was finalized.
April 1998: Diller assumes chairman and CEO positions at USA Networks
In April 1998, Barry Diller assumed the chairman and CEO positions at USA Networks, succeeding Kay Koplovitz.
May 1998: Attempt to remove WWF from USA Network thwarted
In May 1998, an attempt by Kay Koplovitz and other USA Network executives to remove the WWF from the USA Network was thwarted following Diller's purchase of the 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. Diller retained the assets of the Home Shopping Network.
2001: Marriage to Diane von Fürstenberg
In 2001, Barry Diller married fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg.
2001: New York article on Diller
In 2001, New York wrote about Diller, mentioning he is "often referred to as bisexual", having "lived most of his adult life as a more or less openly gay man", and commenting on his warm relationship with Diane von Fürstenberg.
2002: Joined the board of Coca-Cola
Since 2002, Barry Diller has been on the board of Coca-Cola.
2003: Warning against media consolidation
In 2003, on the PBS program NOW with Bill Moyers, Diller voiced a strong warning against media consolidation, referring to media ownership by a few big corporations as an oligarchy.
2005: Highest-paid executive
In 2005, Diller was the highest-paid executive, according to a report by The New York Times on October 26, 2006.
2005: IAC/InterActiveCorp acquired Ask.com
In 2005, IAC/InterActiveCorp acquired Ask.com, marking a strategic move into the Internet search category.
2005: Publication of DisneyWar
In 2005, James B. Stewart published the book DisneyWar.
October 26, 2006: Highest-paid executive in fiscal year 2005
On October 26, 2006, The New York Times reported that Diller was "the highest-paid executive [of fiscal year 2005]", with total compensation in excess of $295 million.
2007: Opening of the IAC Building
In 2007, the new headquarters for IAC/InterActiveCorp, the IAC Building designed by Frank Gehry, opened in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood.
December 2, 2010: Stepped down as chief executive officer of IAC/InterActiveCorp
On December 2, 2010, Barry Diller stepped down as chief executive officer of IAC/InterActiveCorp.
2011: Donation to 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: Description by New York Magazine
In May 2012, New York magazine described Diller as a "second generation Austrian Jewish kid".
2012: Investor in Aereo
In 2012, 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 having misgivings, and expressed approval of Michael Bloomberg.
2013: Co-producing Broadway shows with Scott Rudin
Since 2013, Barry Diller has co-produced more than ten Broadway shows in partnership with Scott Rudin.
June 2014: Aereo went 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.
2015: Donation towards 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: $4.2 Billion 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: CFO stepped down
In December 2019, Expedia's CFO stepped down.
June 2020: Estimated net worth
As of June 2020, Diller's estimated net worth was $4.2 billion.
2020: Reservations about 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: Took over Expedia's day-to-day operations
In early 2020, Barry Diller took over Expedia's day-to-day operations alongside the vice chairman Peter Kern.
2020: Match Group and CollegeHumor no longer part of IAC
Until 2020, Match Group and CollegeHumor was part of 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. It was funded by a $260 million donation committed by Diller and his wife in 2015.
March 9, 2022: Insider trading investigation
On March 9, 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported that Diller, David Geffen and his stepson, Alex Von Furstenberg were being investigated for insider trading of options on Activision Blizzard.
2024: Call for Biden to end re-election bid
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 suggested Kamala Harris should replace FTC chair Lina Khan.
May 20, 2025: Publication of Diller's memoir
Simon & Schuster published Diller's memoir Who Knew on May 20, 2025.
2025: Diller's memoir
In 2025, Diller is expected to publish his memoir, "Who Knew", in which he will write about his homosexual relationships.
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