- Description
An hour conversation with Michael Ovitz, entertainment industry executive and former president of the Walt Disney Company, about his story of ascendance to the most powerful position in Hollywood, the circumstances surrounding his controversial termination and his plans for the future.
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lesbleus 02/21/2013 11:13 AM Report
Michael Ovitz's hamasaku was actually just featured on several top 10 and top 25 lists - one was for the top power lunch spot in L.A. - the other I can't recall. Hamasaku has a whole new menu - one of the items is... brace yourself - a cod sperm sushi roll! Anyway the reimagined menu is getting rave reviews...
christycool2000 01/07/2013 03:50 PM Report
Michael Ovitz should open a new restaurant in L.A. - LA Magazine just came out with their top 10 new restaurants and nothing really jumps out at me. He should open something cutting edge like ink or hamasaku
lesbleus 11/26/2012 11:26 AM Report
Michael Ovitz interview by Charlie Rose is quite interesting. Rose is certainly one of the top interviewers of our age, and to christycool2000's point below, he would do a better job than a lot of of others at taking on our biggest moderation challenges. Love that he's interviewing Bezos of Amazon.com right before cyber monday!! Ovitz meanwhile is a timeless interview, still going strong after many years at the top of hollywood's food chain.
christycool2000 10/04/2012 08:58 PM Report
this video is really classic of michael ovitz. Wondering how Charlie Rose would have done as one of the debate moderators for the presidential debates last night. Certainly better than the curmudgeony fellow that blundered his way through and let romney and obama dictate who said what and when...
pheobelemon 10/02/2012 11:00 PM Report
Michael Ovitz really could have a second career as a restaurant owner and foodie considering all the places he is connected to.. big part of l.a. history.. @lesbleus - ovitz was just in a hollywood reporter article about spago, in addition to the one on morton's you were referring to below..
lesbleus 09/27/2012 01:22 PM Report
Michael Ovitz was just in an interview about the history of Morton's restaurant. Ovitz had one of the prime tables there and they would do business deals every Monday. Apparently was one of the main ways big deals got done. Michael Ovitz is a big restaurant guy in L.A. now - owns hamasaku and is a partner in Voltaggio's ink., which might be the hottest place in l.a. right now!
christycool2000 09/18/2012 02:46 PM Report
michael ovitz's daughter kimberly rocks - I was at new york fashion week... models came down the runway barefoot, on a rough clay surface that was totally primal. was really funny because some people accidentally stepped on the clay when they were taking their seats. Show was sweet - lots of earth tones, inspiring!
medvedev 09/10/2012 10:04 PM Report
michael ovitz and daughter kimberly were just interviewed in the wall street journal about her fashion shows. She is an up and coming designer and her dad is apparently pretty proud of her. ovitz family is a unique balance of art and business savvy - son chris on business side does viddy.com and daughter creating a fashion empire... Not too shabby
pheobelemon 09/08/2012 11:39 AM Report
good article about michael ovitz and his daughter kimberly - she's actually made a career for herself as a fashion designer in new york. she's really well regarded. interesting because it highlights the art side of the ovitz clan - although he is known for business, when you get down to it they are all very art and aesthetic oriented - paintings, architecture, fashion, etc.
lesbleus 08/24/2012 04:10 PM Report
christycool2000 - yes Michael Ovitz's most valuable art piece is the Jasper John's white flag. He owns quite a few very valuable works - mostly from contemporary /modern artists. He has a few by Picasso too; I'm not sure either of the full list of all the works he owns, but he's one of the top collectors in the world.
christycool2000 08/11/2012 11:28 AM Report
Wondering what the biggest piece is in the ovitz collection. I know he has picassos and a ton of modern art, but what is Michael Ovitz's most valuable art? Jasper Johns I guess? Can someone fill me in? Ovitz is a huge art collector
lesbleus 07/31/2012 10:09 PM Report
thanks for the info pheobelemon. good to see someone else interest in what ovitz is up to these days. impressive that he's investing in tech and getting into silicon valley culture after such a long career in entertainment.
pheobelemon 07/30/2012 02:23 PM Report
michael ovitz is big on andreessen horowitz - it is literally the biggest vc firm in silicon valley and few people know the behind the scenes role ovitz has played. marc andreessen consulted with him on how ovitz made CAA a successful business - then modeled AH after the Ovitz approach. That was a big shift for VC tech firms because until that point they all worked the same boring way. Andreessen horowitz offers all sorts of extra services that other VC firms don't - hence their huge success
lesbleus 07/13/2012 05:23 PM Report
michael ovitz is in sun valley right now for that big thing that zuckerberg, bill gates, and all those tech guys go to where they chat about venture capital and all the things going on in silicon valley. Ovitz has a VC firm called broad beach ventures and is a big part of andreessen horowitz which is the big vc firm up there in s.f.
wvogel 05/15/2012 08:16 PM Report
yes christycool michael ovitz has also invested in goodrx, a santa monica startup that compares prices of prescription drugs and gives you the nearest location to buy them. One does wonder about all these comparison sites and whether they will catch on to the consumer or become incorporated into the backend functionality of bigger sites. Ovitz does seem on top of it in any case...
christycool2000 05/10/2012 05:58 PM Report
Michael Ovitz is an angel investor in a company called priceonomics. Just read about it in techcrunch. It takes used items and calculates a price range they are selling for online. didn't know he was a VC silicon valley guy but I guess so. would love to know other companies ovitz was investing in.
medvedev 04/26/2012 06:47 PM Report
I just saw that Magic Johnson bio with Ovitz featured - it is on Bloomberg's Gamechangers - great bit on how Magic was humbled when he went to see Ovitz for the first time. Ovitz basically told him that if he wasn't business savvy, he couldn't work with him. Once Magic proved he was truly interested and not just looking to make an easy buck, Ovitz took him under his wing and taught him the ropes. Obviously Magic succeeded - and then some - both in investing in his own businesses ventures in the inner-city and in sports ventures like the lakers and now the dodgers. So kudos to Ovitz for giving him the tough lessons early rather than pampering him the way so many big-name athletes are today. Do wonder if Ovitz was a part of the dodger package considering he was so big on bringing an NFL stadium to L.A... He still has courtside seats for the lakers I think...
pheobelemon 04/12/2012 04:00 PM Report
@lesbleus and @christycool200 - I'm a huge Ovitz fan and appreciate your comments. Michael Ovitz was just in a great bio about Magic Johnson who now owns the dodgers. Ovitz helped him a lot in his early days transitioning from basketball to business.
lesbleus 02/17/2012 06:58 PM Report
@pheobelemon: I for one would like to welcome you to the Michael Ovitz fan base. We are a small but enthusiastic group who do are best to keep on top of what is going on with Ovitz. Currently all the buzz is about Kimberly Ovitz at New York Fashion Week. She's Michael Ovitz's daughter. Yooung up and coming fashion designer. Personally I'm very interested in the degree to which art plays a role in the Ovitz name. Known for business, he's fascinated by art, architecture, culture, style and food. No coincidence that he's made his career primarily with actors, television, and film. I merely bring this up because I think that is where his true passions lie, and as the wise among us know, only through passion do we find any true meaning in life. Regardless, welcome pheobelemon
christycool2000 02/06/2012 08:13 PM Report
@pheobelemon - Michael Ovitz fans we are, so we get a little overzealous sometimes in our defense of good dialogue and info. Apologies to you for my critique of your pithy comment - nothing wrong with that and I see you do know a great deal about Ovitz. We follow him fairly closely and just want similarly-engaged folks to comment on the forums, good or bad. But it sounds like you would fit right in here with your interest in Ovitz - so again welcome
pheobelemon 02/02/2012 07:47 PM Report
@ChristyCool - Sincere apologies to both you and Michael Ovitz for not elaborating more on my general comment about what a character he is.. *INSERT SARCASM* Do you really think it is necessary to call someone out for merely making a pithy, albeit somewhat vapid comment? In any case all is forgiven as I do enjoy the subject of Ovitz; quite intrigued by him on all accounts. CAA is still a powerhouse. I know he's big on VC investing, mostly in techs, and I know he's a huge art collector. That enough with you Christy?
christycool2000 02/01/2012 07:18 PM Report
@Pheobelemon - Ovitz is indeed quite a character but on the boards we typically want to say a bit more than that. Recognize you're a newbie, neophyte, etc., but the crew that follows Michael Ovitz really wants to discuss meaningful stuff, not random comments, with all respect. Anyway, welcome - come on out with it! What intrigues you about Ovitz, one of the most interesting characters in Hollywood? We want to know!
pheobelemon 02/01/2012 01:58 PM Report
Michael Ovitz is quite a character!!
christycool2000 01/30/2012 03:32 PM Report
Michael Ovitz up to a great deal just by reading these comments - hope he gets back into the talent agent biz as would love to see films like Rainman being made again - they need to package the directors and actors together like Ovitz did in the old days.. Or is that still the common practice? Seems like CAA has shifted more into sports?
christycool2000 01/27/2012 05:06 PM Report
Really interesting interview - didn't know all this about Ovitz.. Charlie Rose should have him on the show again
lesbleus 01/25/2012 08:48 PM Report
Michael Ovitz was just seen eating with Barry Diller the other day at one of the NY hot spots - with the gossip rags wondering what they were discussing... Surely if they'd been in l.a. ovitz and crew would have eaten at ink! In any case good to hear from you medvedev.. long time no banter - surprised you make no mention of liverpool's victory over man city today in the carling cup semis!!
medvedev 01/23/2012 08:06 PM Report
Michael Ovitz has a number of his peices at ink. Ink is a great spot - the vibe is very casual/modern and the food is impeccible - Voltaggio is the main chef. Ovitz dines there periodically I understand but has nothing to do with the day to day. As you can see I've moved away from the Michael Ovitz real estate updates to the Michael Ovitz cuisine updates! He actually is a big foodie - so nice to see the movement making such an impact on the l.a. scene with great restaurants like ink., etc. coming in to give NY culinary a run for their money.. Picca is another good spot that just openned up on the westside - going there for dinner this fri
lesbleus 01/10/2012 05:52 PM Report
Wondering if Michael Ovitz rotates the paintings he has on loan to Voltaggio's restaurant, ink. Does anyone know what paintings are hanging there and if they change them periodically? Still haven't hit the spot yet; apparently it is a long delay to get a reservation but I am dying to go. Anyhow medvedev chime in if you know; hoping there is a Jasper Johns there or a Lichtenstein or something extraordinary. Ovitz owns the lease to the building, I think, where ink is - keeping to the real estate theme...
medvedev 12/16/2011 06:16 PM Report
Michael Ovitz just sold another building on Wilshire next to the old CAA headquarters to a law firm. Apparently the building had been used as overflow for Creative Artists Agency, now no longer necessary given the 10-year lease of the building by Ovitz to Sony Music. I should be reporting on Beverly Hills real estate with all these updates!
lesbleus 09/12/2011 07:06 PM Report
Michael Ovitz is exec producing a tom clancy drama called 'homeland security' - I think it is going to be on tnt but this is a first project after many year hiatus, from what I understand. curious to see how it turns out!
lesbleus 08/11/2011 02:48 PM Report
Hey big news! Michael Ovitz owned spot 'Ink' is finally opening (does that make it an 'inkspot'? pun) - just like Medvedev mentioned the top chef voltaggio guy is finally getting the doors open. Going to check this out though may cost a small fortune
lesbleus 08/02/2011 05:02 PM Report
There was a good article I just read on the Ovitz website about the architect who designed his home. Was from W Magazine - I'll try to find the link...
medvedev 07/27/2011 08:53 PM Report
Apparently Michael Ovitz has also formed a VC company called Broad Beach Ventures - should be interesting to see how it pans out and what sort of companies they are investing in.
medvedev 07/19/2011 07:31 PM Report
I just read on the Michael Ovitz blog that he's opening a new restaurant in L.A., Ink by Michael Voltaggio (who won Top Chef - you know the two uber-competitive brothers)... Anyway the location is owned by Ovitz. Can't wait for that one to open though it will surely be on the high end. More Ovitz trivia!
lesbleus 06/08/2011 10:13 AM Report
Yeah Michael Ovitz just sold the ice house - don't know if any of you ever had a chance to see it but it is a pretty amazing landmark of l.a. architectural history. Great spot for a business - livenation headquarters at the moment. Wonder what Ovitz opines for the upcoming IPO of Groupon. Personally I'm a yes on LinkedIn, but a big no on Groupon as read an article the other day commenting on its insolvency! Hemoraging cash. Plus I see consumer fatigue. We'll see what happens. Ovitz is a big VC guy now with Andreessen so will be interesting to find out what he likes to invest in.
medvedev 05/16/2011 03:44 PM Report
Michael Ovitz update: just read a bit about Ovitz in the NY Times (will find link) regarding a Sotheby's art auction where he was in attendence. He's a huge art collector as we've mentioned before. Anyhow Ovitz apparently wasn't up to bidding on the Warhol they had up for auction (which went for $20 million!) - interesting as he collects quite a bit of modern art, pop art, etc. He owns a great Jasper Johns (in my opinion, though perhaps lesser known to the layman, several steps up from Warhol). Anyhow here's the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/12/arts/design/sixteen-jackies-by-warhol-sells-for-20-million.html
lesbleus 04/29/2011 07:02 PM Report
Didn't realize the ice house was owned by Michael Ovitz. He just appeared in the news as a facilitator of eBays purchase of FigCard - a little startup in Boston that does retail transactions through the smart phone... Pretty cool
medvedev 04/27/2011 05:19 PM Report
Michael Ovitz actually just sold one of his buildings in Beverly Hills, speaking of architecture. It is called 'The Ice House' - spot where Live Nation has its headquarters. Apparently went for 20-25 million. Ovitz has certainly done well. You know what they say about real estate: much like the dodgers pitching - location, location, location! That was a joke, lesbleus, though I know they don't have baseball in France. Anyhow will look into Michael Ovitz's latest exploits and get back to this forum...
lesbleus 04/25/2011 02:56 PM Report
This is a fantastic interview - very interesting. I honestly didn't realize the extent of Michael Ovitz' entertainment past. The CAA building in Beverly Hills is an architectural masterpiece by the way - built by renowned architect I.M. Pei. Wondering what Mr. Ovitz is busy with now... Medvedev if you could fill us in with the latest that would be terrific. Again, great Ovitz interview...
medvedev 04/19/2011 03:34 PM Report
Here's a link to that Kimberly Ovitz article lesblues, from the Michael Ovitz blog: http://michaelovitz.blogspot.com/2011/03/kimberly-ovitz-releases-fallwinter.html
lesbleus 04/07/2011 05:37 PM Report
Michael Ovitz's daughter, Kimberly Ovitz, just released a new fashion line during NY fashion week. One of the dresses she designed was worn by Lindsay Lohan to court, causing a sizable controversy. Quite interesting - she is talented.
lesbleus 02/28/2011 06:31 PM Report
The Michael Ovitz architectural article you are referring to comes from W magazine and is more about the architect then Ovitz himself. Still makes a good read...
medvedev 02/18/2011 06:42 PM Report
Michael Ovitz is also a major art collector. There was a recent article in an architectural magazine about Ovitz and his house, in which he displays an extensive art collection. Ovitz was also recently recognized for his influence on venture capital guy Mark Andreessen... Apparently they have taken a lot of Ovitz' business practices and applied them to silicon valley culture. All very interesting. I'll post here as I get more Michael Ovitz info...
lesbleus 02/11/2011 05:59 PM Report
That's really quite interesting. Didn't know that about Michael Ovitz. I do remember that campaign, which may tip my hand about how old I am! It was funny.
medvedev 02/02/2011 07:09 PM Report
You might be interested in what I just read about Michael Ovitz. I knew about CAA, but did you know this:
"As a well-known broker between talent and financiers, he was hired as investment adviser for several significant industry transactions, including Sony's 1989 purchase of Columbia Pictures for $3.4 billion, the French bank Credit-Lyonnais' rescue of MGM in 1993, Matsushita's purchase of entertainment conglomerate MCA for $6.6 billion in 1990, and its subsequent sale of that organization to the Seagram Company in 1995. On another front, Ovitz and CAA shook up the advertising industry by winning Coca-Cola's global advertising account in 1991. Seeking to target fragmented television audiences with diverse and innovative commercials, CAA produced the "Always Coca-Cola" advertising campaign, which successfully popularized Coke-drinking computer animated polar bears."
Haha - remember those polar bears? Had no idea Michael Ovitz was behind that campaign...
medvedev 01/26/2011 05:38 PM Report
Michael Ovitz was recently listed in the Wall Street Journal blog as an inspiration for Mike Andereessen's firm; apparently they modeled it after CAA... I will post the link shortly - behind as usual!
medvedev 01/20/2011 06:00 PM Report
The Michael Ovitz interview below is really terrific; be sure to check it out.
medvedev 01/14/2011 07:09 PM Report
Here is the link I mentioned in previous post: http://kara.allthingsd.com/20101208/when-marc-met-mike-andreessen-interviews-ovitz/
medvedev 01/10/2011 04:36 PM Report
Mike Ovitz recently was interviewed by Mark Andereessen if you are interested - great interview... It is posted online, just do a search... I'll put the link here later.
lesbleus 01/03/2011 04:22 PM Report
Well medvedev I'm sure you are thrilled about it. France is looking better. Russia was a fair choice but Qatar seemed very suspicious to me. FIFA is a corrupt body. Anyway we should get back to the topic of Michael Ovitz!