David Geffen

American music and entertainment mogul who founded Asylum Records, Geffen Records, and co-founded DreamWorks — one of the most powerful figures in American entertainment across five decades.

Serial institution-building in entertainment: Geffen built Asylum Records (signing the Eagles, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell), sold it, built Geffen Records (Aerosmith, Guns N' Roses, Nirvana), sold it, co-founded DreamWorks SKG. His model: identify talent before the market does, build a supportive environment, and sell at peak value. Geffen's ruthlessness in negotiation — and his cultivation of long-term relationships with artists — represent the entertainment industry's operating code at its most effective.