Charles Ergen
| Charlie Ergen | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Charles William Ergen 1 March 1953 Oak Ridge, TN |
| Nationality | United States |
| Occupation | Chairman of Dish Network |
| Known for | Co-founder of Satellite provider Dish Network |
| Net worth |
 US$16.7 billion (December 2017) |
| Spouse(s) | Candy Ergen |
| Children | Five (Christopher) |
| Parent(s) | Viola Siebenthal Ergen William Krasny Ergen |
Charles William "Charlie" Ergen (born March 1, 1953) is an American businessman and is the co-founder and current Chairman of the Board, and former President and CEO of Dish Network and EchoStar Communications Corporation. He stepped down as CEO in May 2011 in favor of Joseph Clayton. He remains Chairman of the Board of both companies. Ergen resumed as CEO upon Clayton's March 31, 2015 retirement. Ergen owns 52 percent of Dish and Echostar shares and holds 88 percent of its total voting power.
With an estimated 2014 net worth of $17B, Ergen is reportedly the wealthiest person in Colorado.
In 1980 Ergen, his future wife Candy, and James Franco started a new business called EchoSphere Corporation, investing $60,000 to purchase two C-Band antennas, targeting rural Colorado. They drove around the Denver metro area on a small budget, selling satellite dishes from the back of their truck.
In 1990 Ergen pushed EchoStar into the big leagues by raising $335 million in junk bonds and purchasing orbital slots for satellites. Two years later, EchoStar got a DBS license from the Federal Communications Commission, giving the company its own geostationary orbital slot. In 1993, EchoStar Communications was incorporated. Under Ergen, EchoStar’s net income doubled to $20.4 million, in 1993.
Under Ergen, EchoStar and DISH acquired multiple companies, after an $8 million deal for 22 channel assignments of DBSC.
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