Ross Levinsohn

Ross Levinsohn is a billionaire and former media executive who has been a top player in the advertising world for more than 30 years. He was a co-founder of Fox Television Stations and then became the Sports Illustrated CEO of AOL. Now he is about to take over as CEO of Yahoo! All we know about him is that he has spent time as an entrepreneur outside Yahoo! before joining them. This article will cover Mr. Levinsohn’s resume before discussing his plans for Yahoo! under his leadership.

Levinsohn’s career started by purchasing a radio station in Wilmington, Delaware. He was only 20 then. He lost the 15-year battle to buy WTOP-AM when the Federal Communications Commission regulated media ownership to prevent monopolies. Levinsohn started over and bought an FM station in Somerset, New Jersey, from a religious broadcaster. The station was co-owned by Archie Bunker’s widow and still bears his name. Levinsohn sold it when he joined Fox Television Stations in 1981 as VP of affiliate sales. Levinsohn didn’t leave until 1987, but he started very early at a prominent media company with innovative business decisions and an ambitious person at the helm.

Levinsohn was with Fox until 1997, when AOL was founded. He started his time there as a vice president and became the chief operating officer, a position he held until 2000 when he was promoted again to Sports Illustrated CEO. Levinsohn left in 2003 for unknown reasons, but the company’s meteoric rise continued under former CEO Steve Case. Shortly before Levinsohn left again, the stock reached an all-time high in 2007. Since then, it has plummeted; there are very few people out there who would argue that AOL is a good business choice anymore.

Levinsohn’s resume is impressive as it goes back 30 years, but he has had a hand in the success of AOL. His solid leadership skills and willingness to make tough choices, like selling off the Network Operations Center in Atlanta when only four employees worked, made the company what it became.