Variety500 Entertainment Leaders and Icons
Intro
Intro

What is Variety500?

Variety500 is an index of the 500 most influential business leaders shaping the global $2 trillion entertainment industry.

Updated annually, the Variety500 reflects the accomplishments of its members over the previous 12 months. They were selected by the Variety editorial board, which conducted extensive research for its selections.

Spotlight

Walt Disney Company, The

Robert Iger

Chairman / CEO

The Mouse House augmented its world-class content with big acquisitions engineered by the Disney chief.

Wicious Pictures

Patty Jenkins

Director / Producer / Writer

A rarity in Hollywood as a successful female director, whose credits include "Wonder Woman" and "Monster."

Wanda Media Group

Jianlin Wang

Chairman

Wanda boss has shown steely discipline to make his company a force in China, but its overseas ambitions are in a state of flux.

Joint Effort

Bradley Cooper

Actor / Producer

Fast-rising star has balanced Oscar buzz and box-office success to become the consummate leading man.

Sony Corporation

Kaz Hirai

President / CEO, Sony Corp. and Co-CEO, Sony Entertainment

He has streamlined operations at Sony, returning the 70-year-old Japanese electronics to profit and giving it a renewed competitive edge.

Bronte Film and Television

J.K. Rowling

Principal / Producer / Writer

"Harry Potter" author cast a spell with her record-shattering book and film franchise to make her one of the most successful writers of all time.

Netflix

Ted Sarandos

Chief Content Officer

Ted Sarandos' ambitious production slate has transformed what was once a DVD-by-mail service into a global streaming-video behemoth.

Parkwood Entertainment, Tidal

Beyoncé

Founder / Partner

Show-stopping superstar proved that even a risky reinvention couldn't shake her unassailable position atop the pop world.

Annapurna Pictures

Megan Ellison

Principal

The young owner of Annapurna Pictures has become the patron saint of independent filmmakers, both new and established.

YouTube, LLC

Susan Wojcicki

CEO

She has put the video-hosting platform into the content-production business, while fending off challenges from turf-encroaching rivals.

Robert Iger
Patty Jenkins
Jianlin Wang
Bradley Cooper
Kaz Hirai
J.K. Rowling
Ted Sarandos
Beyoncé
Megan Ellison
Susan Wojcicki