Michael W. Ferro, Jr.
| Michael W. Ferro Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 24, 1966 Merrick, New York, U.S. |
| Residence | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois, Chicago |
| Occupation | Majority owner and Non-Executive Chairman of Tronc |
Michael W. Ferro Jr. (born July 24, 1966) is an American business magnate (oligarch) and the majority share owner and Non-Executive Chairman of the United States third-largest newspaper publisher Tronc, and whom, in 2016, the New York Times described as being one of the country’s most significant and unpredictable media moguls, and whose publications have a monthly audience of over 60 million.
As an inventor, investor and philanthropist, Ferro is also known for founding the Internet software company Click Commerce. He is also the founder and CEO of Merrick Ventures LLC, a Chicago-based private equity firm.
An inventor of a number of proprietary products and processes, Ferro holds multiple patents issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Most recently, Ferro was issued a patent for his innovations in medical imaging for MERGE healthcare, and several of Ferro’s developments are currently patent pending.
Ferro is active in the Midwest’s budding tech scene, where he focuses on mentoring young entrepreneurs. Ferro was named to the "100 Most Powerful Chicagoans" list and is a perennial honoree on the "Who’s Who" list by Crain’s Chicago Business.
From 2008 until 2015, Ferro served as the chairman of NASDAQ company Merge Healthcare, turning the organization into a billion-dollar enterprise, which was acquired by IBM in October of 2015. From 2011 until early 2016, Ferro served as the Chairman of Wrapports LLC, which owns media properties like the Sun-Times Network, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Reader, Chicago.com, Aggrego, Thecube.com and Higi LLC.
On Thursday, February 4, 2016, it was announced that Ferro became the largest shareholder and non-executive chairman of Tribune Publishing after driving home a $44-million deal via his investment firm Merrick Media. As of June 20, 2016, the company has been rebranded as Tronc (standing for Tribune Online Content) and has begun trading on the NASDAQ.
Ferro currently resides in Chicago, Illinois.
Michael W. Ferro Jr. was born in 1966 in Merrick, New York, and went on to grow up in Illinois. At the age of 15, while attending high school, Ferro started his first company, Earth Wood Care (EWC). Ferro continued to develop and operate the company full-time while attending the University of Illinois Chicago.
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