What Is Barry Meyer's Net Worth and Salary?
Barry Meyer is an American television producer who once served as chairman and CEO of Warner Bros Entertainment. Barry Meyer has a net worth of $60 million. Although Meyer was once one of the most influential figures in the television world while serving as CEO of Warner Bros., he was famous for staying out of the spotlight. Unlike many other high-profile producers and CEOs, Barry preferred to maintain a low profile and keep his personal life under wraps.
That being said, his contributions to Warner Bros Entertainment were phenomenal and widely recognized by industry insiders. After first becoming CEO in 1999, Meyer spent the next 14 years transforming the studio into one of the most profitable enterprises in the entertainment industry. Under his leadership, box office profits soared. When Barry stepped down as CEO in 2013, Warner Bros had consistently raked in billions of dollars each year at the box office.
Early Life
Barry Michael Meyer was born on November 28, 1946, in New York City. Raised in a Jewish household, Meyer attended the University of Rochester after graduating from high school. After obtaining his bachelor's degree, he moved on to Case Western Reserve University. While studying at Case Western's School of Law, Barry earned his Juris Doctor. After graduating from college, Meyer was initially intent on pursuing a career in law. To this day, he remains a member of the bar in New York. He was also once admitted to the practice of law in Ohio.
Career
Barry Meyer began his entertainment career at ABC Television Network. He spent two and a half years working in the legal and business affairs departments of ABC before joining Warner Bros. Entertainment in 1971. Just one year after joining Warner Bros., Meyer was promoted to Vice President of Business Affairs in Warner Bros.'s television department. Throughout the next few years, Barry continued to work his way up the ranks.
In 1978, he became the new Executive Vice President for the entire television division. During this period, Warner Bros. focused on successful films such as "The Exorcist" and "A Clockwork Orange," but the company also generated tremendous profits through various television shows. The most notable of these shows were built around well-known superheroes such as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Warner Bros. also made early ventures into the video game industry during the late 70s and early 80s.
In 1984, Meyer was promoted once again, this time accepting the role of Executive Vice President of Warner Bros. Inc. Not only was he now playing a major role in all of the activities of the company, but Barry was fully in control of the studio's television operations. In the early '90s, Time Inc and Warner Bros. merged in a $14.9-billion cash deal – although Paramount tried to stop the deal from going through with its own hostile takeover.
In 1994, Barry Meyer accepted additional responsibilities as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Warner Bros. Entertainment. This meant that he was now responsible for a wide range of various divisions. These included studio facilities, legal concerns, business affairs, human resources, business strategy, government relations, and much more. Slowly but surely, Meyer was taking greater control of Warner Bros. With greater influence, Barry established the WB Television Network and CW – two entities that would play a massive role in ushering in a new era for Warner Bros. and its dominance of the TV industry.
During this period, shows like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Smallville," "Dawson's Creek," and "One Tree Hill" proved popular among teens. "Charmed" and "7th Heaven" also proved to be major hits. On the heels of this undeniable level of success, Meyer was named the new CEO and Chairman of Warner Bros. Entertainment in 1999. Things didn't go very smoothly at first, as Warner Bros.'s takeover of AOL proved to be a misguided decision when the "dot com" bubble burst.
However, Warner Bros. and Barry Meyer would soon rake in more than enough cash with one of the most profitable film franchises of all time: the "Harry Potter" movies. "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" was released in 2001, and it was a major money-maker right off the bat. The first film in the franchise raked in over $1 billion – a feat that would be equaled later by "Deathly Hallows – Part 2." Overall, the "Harry Potter" film franchise helped Warner Bros. Entertainment generate over $7.7 billion in worldwide box office revenues.
Barry also remained focused on television during his time as CEO. In 2003, he helped launch "Two and a Half Men," which became the fourth-most profitable series in 2012. By this point, the show was earning Warner Bros. $3.24 million per episode. In 2005, Barry Meyer and Warner Bros. helped release "Batman Begins," which was the first film in the "Dark Knight" trilogy. Collectively, the three films grossed over $2.4 billion at the box office. The trilogy also received consistently strong reviews from critics. In 2013, Barry Meyer stepped down as CEO. Kevin Tusjihara took his place.
After Warner Bros
After leaving Warner Bros., Meyer continued to play a notable advisory role in the television industry, especially with matters concerning labor issues. He is a member of the Board of Councilors of the USC School of Cinema-Television, the Board of Directors of the Motion Picture Association of America, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
In 2014, it was reported that Meyer had been appointed to the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank in San Francisco. His three-year term ended in 2016.
