Rivkin in the news

[OverUnderAround]

Former Muppet CEO Rivkin is mentioned on a website.
Was he a lame CEO? I always thought he split before Disney had a chance to fired him.
Anyway here's what he's up to if anyone cares:


Wild Brain buys stake in Kidrobot
San Francisco animation studio Wild Brain is acquiring a majority stake in Kidrobot, a New York toy maker.

The two companies plan to develop animated television, feature film and direct-to-video projects based on the Kidrobot characters and using its distinctive style.

"It's a natural cross-over," said Wild Brain co-founder and executive producer Jeff Fino. "We'll be growing the retail business as well."

Paul Budnitz, owner and founder of Kidrobot will continue as president of Kidrobot and as an executive producer at Wild Brain Animation Studios.

The acquisition is one of the first deals managed by Wild Brain's new CEO, Charles Rivkin, who joined the 54-person company in September. Rivkin took over the post from acting CEO Roy Thiele-Sardina, whose private equity firm Valence Capital Management invested $30 million in Wild Brain in December 2004 to finance the studio's first full-length computer animated movie, which has yet to be announced.

Rivkin was previously the CEO of the Jim Henson Co., where he grew the value of the muppet factory from $150 million at the time of Henson's death in 1990 to roughly $1 billion when he helped sell it to Germany's EM.TV in 2000.

Twelve-year-old Wild Brain produces the popular Disney Channel TV show "Higglytown Heroes" and countless TV ads for companies including Nike, Coca-Cola and Sony.
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I think the article is wrong when it says the "Muppet factory" was valued at $150 million in 1990. That was probably the sum Disney was going to pay to buy ONLY the Muppets back then, NOT the value of the Jim Henson Company.

 

[ravagefrackle]

personally i thought he was a lame CEO, but then again i think they all are, they reap the most from the hard work and talent of others and do evrything they can to pay the talent behind the programs as little as possible, then complain about the bottom line as they pile into thier limos, and first class flights and hotel rooms, they are generally worthless ,souless money gruppers.

all i really remember about him was his inability to look any of us in the eye when they sold the Muppets to EMTV, and yet people are still willing to deal with this guy

 

[OverUnderAround]

personally i thought he was a lame CEO, but then again i think they all are, they reap the most from the hard work and talent of others and do evrything they can to pay the talent behind the programs as little as possible, then complain about the bottom line as they pile into thier limos, and first class flights and hotel rooms, they are generally worthless ,souless money gruppers.

all i really remember about him was his inability to look any of us in the eye when they sold the Muppets to EMTV, and yet people are still willing to deal with this guy

I agree, the company never did grow under his leadership. It does seem his new job (while still a CEO) is a big step down from his Henson job.