Founders
Episode 53 #53 Who Is Michael Ovitz?
Founders

Episode 53: #53 Who Is Michael Ovitz?

Founders

Episode 53

#53 Who Is Michael Ovitz?

David Senra is the host of Founders, where he studies history's greatest entrepreneurs. This is what he learned from reading Who Is Michael Ovitz? by Michael Ovitz.

What I learned from reading Who Is Michael Ovitz? by Michael Ovitz. 

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Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first give a gift [0:01]

Michael's first jobs + finding his first love [7:02]

the foul-mouthed magnates [19:49]

starting at the bottom / being hungry for knowledge [24:50]

I don't want to be standard in any way [32:30]

the revolt begins and the founding of CAA [36:05]

know the history of the industry you are in [46:30]

a warning for all entrepreneurs [53:44]

what influenced CAA's culture [59:27]

becoming the thing you hate [1:02:10]

a typical day's schedule [1:07:00]

problems with co-founders [1:11:30]

the fastest animal on the field [1:15:13]

I was tired / The end of Michael Ovitz's time at CAA [1:19:15]

Ron is gone [1:25:07]

a new beginning / meeting Marc Andreessen [1:32:00]

reconciliation [1:38:00]

I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — Gareth

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#53 Who Is Michael Ovitz?

Introduction

I always told our agents, make your clients think they're your friends, but remember that they're not, yet it would be my clients who would stay loyal for the most part and my friends who would betray me, Jay Moloney, the agent I thought of as a son and as my eventual successor would join the agency's posse of young Turks who disown me after I left CAA. Michael Eisner, my great friend who ran Disney, would hire me as his #2, then publicly humiliate me and fire me after 14 months.

And Ron Meyer, the blood brother I started CAA with, would leave to take a big job at Universal after I negotiate for both of us to go there and then disparage me all over town for 20 years. I made it my life's work to understand people, to grasp what made them tick. I've been certain that I was too wary to misplace my trust and too smart to be duped.

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