After years working on international development projects in Colombia and Iran, Levin ventured into cable television. He convinced Time Inc to place its new network Home Box Office on satellite and broadcast it nationwide – creating one of the earliest national cable networks.
His behavior earned him the unofficial moniker “resident genius” within the company.
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Early Life and Education
Levin was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and later completed a bachelor’s degree from Haverford College before attending law school at the University of Pennsylvania. Following graduation he began his legal career working with international law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett based out of New York City.
Levin serves as both a trustee of the Jewish Community Foundation of New York and as board member for The New School, in addition to chairing UJA-Federation Annual Campaign Annual Campaigns.
Levin was an enigmatic media CEO in an era characterized by charismatic founder-leaders such as Sumner Redstone of Viacom and Rupert Murdoch from News Corp. His personality differed significantly; as an intellectual with his love of Camus-quoting philosophy major at Haverford who enjoyed quoting Camus, Levin was more often considered more intellectual than charismatic when leading Time Warner/AOL merger in 2000. Unfortunately for Levin though, this did not serve him well when orchestrating disastrous merger between Time Warner/AOL which failed miserably due to his reticence than leadership style he orchestrated.
Professional Career
Levin made waves at the turn of the millennium by successfully brokering a merger that put his company at the center of Internet operations, worth an estimated $350 billion and still the biggest in corporate history. Conservative-dressed Levin and AOL chief Steve Case added flair by exchanging neckties for bowties during this announcement ceremony.
Time Warner employee Daniel Levin gained notoriety as their “house Einstein,” though his unorthodox appearance and intellectual pursuits did not mesh well with its polished WASP culture. Levin revolutionized cable TV when he convinced HBO movies to be transmitted via satellite for the first time ever – an accomplishment not repeated until this decade.
Levin has served on the boards of US Bank, Eco-Labs, Lorillard, Apogee and Saks Fifth Avenue; as well as being involved with UJA-Federation of New York which provides assistance for over 4 Million individuals through 100 local health, human service and educational agencies worldwide.
Achievement and Honors
Levin earned acclaim as an adept businessperson over his three marriages. He successfully advocated to make HBO available nationwide, earning Time Inc’s affectionate moniker of “resident genius.”
Levin revolutionized cable network distribution with this move, leading to the famous “Thrilla in Manila” prizefight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Subsequently, he led Time Inc’s 1990 merger with Warner Communications while foiling an attempted takeover attempt from Seagram Co.
As part of his duties at AOL Time Warner, Levin spearheaded the divestiture and buyout negotiations of Haagen-Dazs, Green Giant, Pillsbury brands such as Bennigan’s, Steak & Ale and Chart House as well as American Household. After leaving AOL Time Warner following its large losses in 2002, he now dedicates much of his time helping mend troubled psyches at Moonview Sanctuary – an integrative treatment center in Santa Monica founded with Laurie Perlman Levin.
Personal Life
At his height as a media mogul, Levin employed over 90,000 employees and boasted a luxurious Manhattan office. A team of assistants tracked his marathon schedule while private jets and helicopters carried him directly to meetings where he struck billion dollar deals.
In 1975, he successfully persuaded Time Inc’s Home Box Office pay TV channel to broadcast its signal across the nation – this was pivotal in creating HBO and opening up national cable channels; earning him unofficial acclaim as Time’s “resident genius”.
However, unlike many of his media peers, Levin was not known for being flashy or boastful. Instead, his focus lay in making large deals rather than showing off lavish hobbies or engaging in extravagant behaviors or making bold speeches. After the death of his son in 1997 however, this changed and Levin began looking inward to search for peace within himself.
Net Worth
He was an astute executive who used his connections and smart deals to establish a media empire through Time Warner. Under his watch, it transformed itself into a more focused and profitable conglomerate; HBO was made available to more viewers; major mergers took place; he even orchestrated an international partnership between Time Warner and Disney that helped launch its global expansion plan.
Contrary to his media industry peers, Levin was not known for being flashy or loud. A philosophy major who liked quoting Camus, Levin wasn’t known for extravagant hobbies or quirky habits and avoided public squabbles that caused Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch such embarrassment.
Levin was also an outstanding philanthropist, serving as chair of UJA-Federation of New York, one of the world’s largest local philanthropies supporting over 100 community service agencies and health and human-service programs. Other charitable endeavors he undertook included founding Moonview Sanctuary as an exclusive holistic healing center for celebrities.