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Gustavo Alfredo Jiménez de Cisneros y Rendiles (1 June 1945 – 29 December 2023) was a Venezuelan businessman and Chairman of '' Grupo Cisneros''. A onetime
billionaire A billionaire is a person with a net worth of at least 1,000,000,000, one billion units of a given currency, usually of a major currency such as the United States dollar, euro, or pound sterling. It is a sub-category of the concept of the ultr ...
, according to ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
,'' his net worth peaked at US$6.0 billion in 2007 (equivalent to $ billion in prices when adjusted for inflation); he dropped off the billionaires' list in 2020 as a consequence of his Venezuelan assets losing value due to the long economic crisis in Venezuela.


Early life and education

Cisneros was born on 1 June 1945, the son of Diego Cisneros and Albertina Cisneros (née Rendíles Martínez). Cisneros's father, Diego Cisneros, was in business in Caracas from 1929 and received the
Pepsi Pepsi is a Carbonated water, carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo which serves as its flagship product. In 2023, Pepsi was the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long ...
concession for Venezuela in 1940, before going on to gain the concession for private TV channel Venevisión in 1961. The Cisneros family was the wealthiest in South America on the 2006 ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' ranking. Cisneros graduated from Suffield Academy in
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
in 1963. He graduated from Babson College in
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
in 1968.


''Grupo Cisneros''

''Grupo Cisneros'' is one of the largest privately held media entertainment organizations in the world. The company has been headquartered in Coral Gables,
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, since 2000. Cisneros became President of '' Grupo Cisneros'' when he was 25 years old. Cisneros's wealth came from his holdings in media, entertainment, telecommunications, and consumer products companies. '' Grupo Cisneros'' is one of the largest privately held Spanish-language media and entertainment companies. Until the buyout of Univision, the United States’ leading Spanish-language television network, Cisneros was one of the biggest shareholders of the company. He also owned Venevision International, which produces and distributes media and entertainment products throughout the world, and Venevisión, a Venezuelan television network. Since 1980 the group has owned the Miss Venezuela contest and since 2001 also the Leones del Caracas baseball team. Long an advocate of free enterprise Cisneros for many years expanded his operations outside of Venezuela and into overseas markets, including the U.S., Spain, and later China. In August 2013, Gustavo Cisneros appointed his daughter Adriana Cisneros de Griffin as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cisneros. Before his death, Cisneros was developing Tropicalia, a multibillion-dollar
resort A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that aims to provide most of a vacationer's needs. This includes food, drink, swimming, accommodation, sports, entertainment and shopping, on the premises. A hotel ...
in Miches, northwest of
Punta Cana Punta Cana is a resort town in the easternmost region of the Dominican Republic. It was politically incorporated as the "Verón–Punta Cana township" in 2006, and it is subject to the municipality of Higüey (La Altagracia Province). According ...
,
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...
. Its opening is scheduled for 2026. Cisneros was listed among the world's richest men, according to ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' magazine, which estimated his fortune at US$1.1 billion in 2019. His wealth decreased from its 2014 secondary peak of US$ 4.4 billion, and its 2007 primary peak of US$ 6.0 billion.


Politics

Although Cisneros and Hugo Chávez were originally friends and Cisneros contributed to Chávez's first presidential campaigns, Cisneros was accused of involvement in the 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt against Chávez after their relationship became strained because of Chávez's confrontation with the media. Cisneros was questioned about his relationship with Chávez.


Philanthropy

Cisneros supported two philanthropic entities: '' Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros'' and ''Fundación Cisneros''. ''Fundación Cisneros'' runs a wide range of educational and cultural programs aimed at improving the lives of Latin Americans. These include the AME program for professional development of Latin American educators, visual arts education and awareness based on the ''Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros''; PPV, a visual thinking curriculum for Latin American school children, and traveling art exhibits showcasing the talents of Latin American artists for North America and European audiences. ''Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros'' is a privately held Latin American art organization based in
Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
and
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. Patricia and Gustavo Cisneros began collecting Latin American abstraction after their marriage, in 1970. Over the years, it has grown to more than 2,000 pieces, including about 200 Spanish colonial objects. In addition, the couple has amassed a vast holding of ethnographic material from the Amazon. Based in New York and Caracas, the ''Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros'' today also includes works by Uruguay's Joaquín Torres-García, Brazil's Lygia Clark, and Venezuelan modern masters Jesús Rafael Soto, Alejandro Otero, and Carlos Cruz-Diez. The Cisneros Foundation was moving toward building a permanent institution in Caracas in the late 1990s until Hugo Chávez was elected president. In 2007, the foundation encountered resistance from the Chávez government when lending works by Venezuelan painter Armando Reverón (1889-1954) to New York's
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...
for the museum's first retrospective devoted to a single Latin American artist in 50 years.Chris Kaul (28 January 2009)
An art trove ends its nomadic phase
''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
''.


Personal life

Cisneros was married to his wife, Patricia, from 1970 until his death.Suzanne Muchnic (19 August 2007)
Spreading the riches
''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
''.
She has been a significant MoMA benefactor since 1992, has been a trustee of the museum and has made substantial cash contributions to the museum's recent renovation. Her name is on one of the institution's exhibition rooms. In addition to MoMA, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Hammer Museum, Long Beach's Museum of Latin American Art, and the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid also have received art loans. Cisneros lived in the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...
beginning in the 1990s. In addition to Venezuelan citizenship, Cisneros also held United States, Spanish, and Dominican citizenship. Through his father, Diego Cisneros's paternal side, Cisneros is related to Pablo de Hita y Salazar, who was the 27th Governor of La Florida from 1674 to 1680. As a tribute to his father, Cisneros published a book about the Cisneros family tree.


Death

On 29 December 2023, Gustavo Cisneros died in New York City, at the age of 78. Spanish newspaper El País reported that the cause of his death was pneumonia, a complication following a spinal surgery. The news was confirmed by Cisneros Media, the company owned by Cisneros, through a statement on social media. In the statement, they expressed deep sorrow over his death, describing him as a "visionary leader whose influence extended far beyond the business realm", known for his strategic vision and commitment to innovation.


Commendations

* 1979: Orden Isabel la Católica, Grado Encomienda (1 collar, 1 medallita, 1 botón) – Spain * 22 January 1999: Orden Nacional al Mérito, en el Grado de Oficial (3 medallas) – Ecuador * 1980: Caballero de la Soberana Orden de Malta, Gracia Magistral (6 medallas, 2 botones, 1 prendedor, 2 cajitas rojas vacías, 2 cajitas azules vacías) – Italy * 23 November 1982: Orden Mérito al Trabajo, Primera Clase (1 medalla. 1 botón) – Venezuela * 1983: Orden Francisco de Miranda, Primera Clase (1 medalla, 1 botón) – Venezuela * 1983: Orden Francisco de Miranda, Segunda Clase (1 medalla, 1 botón) – Venezuela * 12 January 1984: Orden Andrés Bello, Banda de Honor (1 medalla, 1 botón) – Venezuela * 16 May 1984: Orden Isabel la Católica, Grado Encomienda de Número (1 collar, 1 placa, 4 medallitas, 2 botones) – Spain * 12 June 1984: Orden del Libertador, Gran Oficial, Segunda Clase (1 medalla, 1 botón – Venezuela * December 1990: Orden del Libertador, Gran Cordón (2 medallas, 1 botón) – Venezuela * 30 October 2004: Orden del Congreso de Colombia en el Grado de Oficial – Colombia * 30 October 2004: Orden de la Democracia Simón Bolívar en el Grado de Gran Cruz – Colombia * Orden Diego de Losada, Primera Clase (1 collar, 1 prendedor, 2 botones) – Venezuela * Orden al Mérito del Ministerio Público, Primera Clase (1 collar, 1 medallita, 2 botones) – Venezuela * Llave de la ciudad de Cartagena de Indias – Colombia * Cultura Campesina Colombia ACPO (1 collar) – Colombia


Honors

* 2000: Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement * 2001:
International Emmy Directorate Award The International Emmy Directorate Award is presented by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and honors individuals or organizations for their outstanding contribution to international television. The awards ceremony has take ...
* 2004:
Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...
, Woodrow Wilson Center, Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service * 2005: MIPCOM, Personality of the YearVariety, 7 October 2005 * Advertising Educational Foundation, Lifetime Achievement Award * 2015: NATPE Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award Recipient, with his daughter, Adriana Cisneros * 2017:
University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...
, Doctor of humane letters


Leadership

* Americas Society, Chairman's International Advisory Council * Babson College, Board of Overseers * Barrick Gold Corporation, Board of Directors; Member, International Advisory Board and Compensation Committee; Chair, Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee * Cardinal Cisneros Foundation, Board of Trustees * Council for the Atlantic Institute of Government, Member * Global Information Infrastructure Commission (GIIC), Commissioner * Haiti's Presidential Advisory Council on Economic Growth and Investment *
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
, David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, Advisory Committee * Ibero-American Council for Productivity and Competitiveness, Member * International Center for Economic Growth, Board of Overseers *
Rockefeller University The Rockefeller University is a Private university, private Medical research, biomedical Research university, research and graduate-only university in New York City, New York. It focuses primarily on the biological and medical sciences and pro ...
, University Council, Member * RRE Ventures LLC, Senior Advisor * United Nations Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Task Force, Charter Member


Past affiliations

* All-American Bottling Corporation, Chairman of the Board * Chase Manhattan Bank, International Advisory Committee *
DirecTV DirecTV, LLC is an American Multichannel television in the United States, multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital Satellite television, s ...
, Executive Committee *
Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...
, Board of Trustees and the Latin American Board * Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst, Latin America Strategy Board of Directors *
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...
, Chairman's Council * Panama Canal Authority, Board Member * Panamerican Beverages, Inc., Board Member * Power Corporation of Canada, Advisory Council * Pueblo International, LLC, Board Member * Queen Sofia Spanish Institute, Board of Directors * The Nature Conservancy, Latin America Conservation Council * United Nations Association of the United States, Member *
Univision Communications TelevisaUnivision (formerly known as Univision Communications) is a Mexican-American mass media, media company headquartered in Miami and Mexico City that owns American Spanish language broadcast network Univision and free-to-air channels in Mex ...
, Board Member *
World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental organization, international advocacy non-governmental organization and think tank, based in Cologny, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German ...
, Board of Governors for the Media, Communications and Entertainment Industries


See also

* '' Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros'' * List of Venezuelan Americans


References


Further reading

* * * * ;Video * *


External links


Gustavo Cisneros
at '' Grupo Cisneros'' * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cisneros, Gustavo 1945 births 2023 deaths Mass media people from Caracas Dominican Republic businesspeople Dominican Republic billionaires Venezuelan television company founders Venezuelan billionaires Babson College alumni Venezuelan expatriates in the Dominican Republic Naturalized citizens of the Dominican Republic International Emmy Directorate Award Cisneros family Venezuelan art collectors