Strauss Zelnick

Strauss Zelnick
Zelnick in 2015
Born	Harry Strauss Zelnick (1957-06-26) June 26, 1957 (age 67) Boston, U.S.
Nationality	American
Education	Wesleyan University (BA) Harvard University (MBA, JD)
Occupation(s)	Businessman Lawyer
Years active	1983–present
Known for	Chairman and CEO of Take-Two Interactive CEO and managing partner of ZMC
Spouse	Wendy J. Belzberg ​ (m. 1990)​
Children	3

Harry Strauss Zelnick (born June 26, 1957) is an American businessman and lawyer. He is the founder, chief executive officer (CEO), and managing partner of private equity firm ZMC, the chairman and CEO of video game company Take-Two Interactive, and the former chairman of media conglomerate CBS Corporation.

Early life and education

Harry Strauss Zelnick was born on June 26, 1957, in Boston into a Jewish family.^[1][2][3] His mother, Susan Strauss Manello, died on October 22, 1967, when Harry was ten years old.^[4] He and his siblings were raised by their aunt Elsa (née Strauss) and her husband Allan Zelnick (died in 2013). He grew up in South Orange, New Jersey.^[2][5][6]

Strauss Zelnick graduated in 1975 from Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey and studied psychology and English at Wesleyan University from 1975 until 1979, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors.^[2][3][5][7] During his time at Wesleyan, he was the national public relations director for the Coalition of Independent College and University Students (COPUS).^[8] Zelnick simultaneously enrolled at Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School in 1979, obtaining a Master of Business Administration degree from the former in 1982 and a Juris Doctor from the latter in 1983.^[3][5][7][9]

Career

In 1983, he started as vice president for television international sales at Columbia Pictures International Television. In 1986, he joined Vestron Inc. as senior vice president of corporate development. He became executive vice president the following year and was promoted to president in 1988, overseeing all managing operations for the company.^[10] He quit in 1989 to join 20th Century Fox as president and CEO^[11] before leaving that role in 1993 to join Crystal Dynamics.^[12]

Zelnick is the chief executive officer and managing partner of ZMC, a private equity investment firm based in New York City specializing in leveraged buyouts and growth capital.^[13] He founded ZMC in 2001 with a starting capital of US$300,000.^[14][15] Following an investor-staged takeover of Take-Two Interactive in 2007, Zelnick became the chairman, chief executive officer, and largest single shareholder of Take-Two.^[16]

Zelnick was appointed to the board of CBS Corporation in 2018.^[17]

In 2021, ZMC purchased a controlling interest in The Second City, a Chicago-based comedy troupe.^[18]

Personal life

Zelnick is Jewish.^[1] He has four sisters: Karen Davis, Beth Kaufman, Marci Zelnick Rodriguez, and Laurie Zelnick.^[6] His brother, Carl D. Zelnick, died in 1995.^[19] Zelnick married Wendy J. Belzberg (the daughter of Samuel Belzberg) in January 1990; their engagement was announced by Belzberg's parents in December 1989.^[20] They have two sons, Cooper (born in 1992) and Lucas, as well as a daughter, Leigh.^{[2][1]: 204} His sister-in-law Lisa Belzberg was previously married to Matthew Bronfman of the Bronfman family.^[21][22]

References

1. Zelnick, Strauss (September 4, 2018). Becoming Ageless: The Four Secrets To Looking and Feeling Younger Than Ever. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781940358192. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2020. I'm Jewish by background, and I feel connected to that religion and am happy to describe myself that way...
2. Fisher, Lawrence M. (February 13, 1994). "Sound Bytes; The Not-So-Silent Screen". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
3. "Harry Strauss Zelnick from Columbia High School". Classmates.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
4. "Obituary for Susan Strauss Manello". The Boston Globe. October 24, 1967. p. 43. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
5. Machan, Dyan (November 30, 2013). "Master of the Game". Barron's. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
6. "Alan [sic] Zelnick Obituary". The Star-Ledger. April 24, 2013. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
7. Needleman, Sarah E. (August 9, 2019). "How Take-Two's CEO Powered Up". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
8. Shalala, Donna E. (June 12, 1978). "Letters". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
9. "Alumni and Faculty Books for December 2018". Harvard Business School. December 1, 2018. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
10. "Zelnick upped to Vestron Inc. prez". Variety. January 27, 1988. p. 7.
11. Ross, Philip E. (August 18, 1989). "BUSINESS PEOPLE; President of Vestron Picked For a Top Post at Fox Film". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
12. Citron, Alan (June 21, 1993). "Fox President Expected to Quit Studio : Entertainment: Sources say Strauss Zelnick is leaving to take the top job at Crystal Dynamics, a Silicon Valley video game maker". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
13. Takahashi, Dean (July 21, 2008). "E3 perspective: Q&A with Chairman Strauss Zelnick on the future of Take-Two Interactive". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on September 5, 2018. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
14. Why Age Is Irrelevant | Strauss Zelnick | #BoFVOICES 2017. The Business of Fashion. May 21, 2018. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved September 10, 2018 – via YouTube.
15. Coffrey, Brendan (May 16, 2011). "CEOs Who Make One Dollar (Or Less) A Year". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 3, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
16. Morris, Chris (July 1, 2015). "This non-gamer runs one of the world's biggest video game companies". Fortune. Archived from the original on June 5, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
17. Steinberg, Brian (October 21, 2018). "Richard Parsons Steps Down as CBS Chairman; Strauss Zelnick to Take Role". Variety. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
18. Hayes, Dade (February 18, 2021). "Famed Comedy Outfit The Second City Acquired By Strauss Zelnick-Run Private Equity Firm ZMC". Deadline. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
19. "Deaths". Bates College. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
20. "Wendy J. Belzberg to Wed in January". The New York Times. December 3, 1989. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
21. "A Bronfman blooms without family spirit: Matthew forsages liquor trade for gamble with natural perfumes". Retrieved February 12, 2024.
22. "Preliminary Bond Authorization and Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA) Hearing for Sea Breeze Gardens Apartments" (PDF). San Diego Housing Commission. Retrieved February 12, 2024.