Gustavo Alfredo Jiménez de Cisneros Rendiles (born 1 June 1945) is a Venezuelan businessman and Chairman of ''

Grupo Cisneros Grupo Cisneros is a privately held, family owned business headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida, historically based in Venezuela, with a focus on Latin American and Spanish-speaking people worldwide. It is a conglomerate of media entertainment, ...

''.

Early life and education

Cisneros is the son of

Diego Cisneros Diego Jesús Jiménez de Cisneros Bermúdez (September 27, 1911 – July 15, 1980) was a Cuban–born Venezuelan businessman. He founded Grupo Cisneros. Early life Cisneros was born in Havana, Cuba, to parents Diego Jiménez de Cisneros y G ...

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 soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi wa ...

concession for Venezuela in 1940, before going on to gain the concession for private TV channel

Venevisión Venevisión () is a Venezuelan free-to-air television channel and one of Venezuela's largest television networks, owned by the Cisneros Media division of Grupo Cisneros. History The company's roots date back to June 1, 1953, with the establis ...

in 1961. The Cisneros family was the first-wealthiest in South America on the 2006 ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...

'' ranking. Cisneros graduated from Suffield Academy in

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

in 1963. He graduated from Babson College in

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

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 state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, since 2000. Cisneros became President of ''

'' when he was 25 years old. Cisneros’ wealth comes from his holdings in media, entertainment, telecommunications and consumer products companies. ''

'' is one of the largest privately held Spanish-language media and entertainment companies. Until the buyout of

Univision Univision () is an American Spanish-language free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the Latino public and includes ...

, the United States’ leading Spanish-language television network, Cisneros was one of the biggest shareholders of the Company. He also owns

Venevision International Cisneros Media (abbreviated as CM, formerly known as Venevision International) is an entertainment company that broadcasts Spanish content in the United States and in other locations around the globe. CMD is a Spanish-language Entertainment com ...

, which produces and distributes media and entertainment products throughout the world, and

, a Venezuelan television network. Since 1980 the Group has owned the

Miss Venezuela Miss Venezuela (Spanish: ''Organización Miss Venezuela'') is the national beauty pageant of Venezuela, traditionally held in September. It is preceded by two or three months of preliminary events, with the awarding of corporate prizes. The fi ...

contest and since 2001 also the

Leones del Caracas The Caracas Base Ball Club C.A. or better known by its commercial name as the ''Leones del Caracas'', is a professional baseball team of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. In its creation, its headquarters are the University Stadium of C ...

baseball team. Long an advocate of free enterprise Cisneros has for many years been expanding his operations outside of Venezuela and into overseas markets, including the U.S., Spain and more recently China. One of his major accomplishments has been a major role in the international development of

telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ...

s – emotion-packed melodramas based on the harsh realities of life in Latin America that are now broadcast to about 2 billion people around the world. In August 2013, Gustavo Cisneros appointed his daughter Adriana Cisneros de Griffin as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cisneros. Cisneros has been developing Tropicalia, a multibillion-dollar resort in

Miches Miches is a town located in El Seibo province in the northeast coast of the Dominican Republic. The community sits between the northern slopes of the Cordillera Oriental and the southern shore of the Samaná Bay. Miches is an emerging rural comm ...

, northwest of

Punta Cana Punta Cana is a resort town in the easternmost region of the Dominican Republic. It is part of the Veron–Punta Cana municipal district, in the Higüey municipality of La Altagracia Province. According to the 2010 census, this district had a ...

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

. Its opening is scheduled for 2021. He has been listed among the world's richest men according to ''

'' magazine, which estimated his fortune at US$1.1 billion in 2019. His wealth has decreased from its 2014 peak of US$4.4 billion.

Politics

Although Cisneros and Hugo Chávez were originally friends and Cisneros contributed to Chávez's first presidential campaigns, Cisernos has been accused of involvement in the

2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt A failed coup d'état on 11 April 2002 saw the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, ousted from office for 47 hours before being restored to power. Chávez was aided in his return to power by popular support and mobilization against the coup b ...

against Chávez after their relationship became strained because of Chávez's confrontation of the media. Cisneros has been questioned about his relationship with Chávez.

Philanthropy

Cisneros supports two philanthropic entities: ''

Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros (CPPC) is a privately held Latin American art organization based in Venezuela and New York City founded by Patricia Phelps de Cisneros and Gustavo Cisneros. History In the 1970s, during Patricia Phelps de ...

'' 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 ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

and

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. 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 have 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 Joaquín Torres García (28 July 1874 – 8 August 1949) was a Uruguayan-Spanish artist who was born in Montevideo, Uruguay. Torres-García emigrated to Catalunya, Spain as an adolescent, where he began his career as an artist in 1891. For ...

, Brazil's

Lygia Clark Lygia Pimentel Lins (23 October 1920 – 25 April 1988), better known as Lygia Clark, was a Brazilian artist best known for her painting and installation work. She was often associated with the Brazilian Constructivist movements of the mid-2 ...

and Venezuelan modern masters Jesus Soto, Alejandro Otero, and

Carlos Cruz-Diez Carlos Cruz-Diez (17 August 1923 – 27 July 2019) was a Venezuelan artist said by some scholars to have been "one of the greatest artistic innovators of the 20th century." Exhibitions * ''Physichromies de Cruz-Diez: Oeuvres de 1954 à 1965' ...

. The Cisneros Foundation was moving toward building a permanent institution in Caracas in the late 1990s until

Hugo Chavez Hugo or HUGO may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese * Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback * Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on a ...

was elected president. In 2007, the foundation encountered resistance from the Chavez government when lending works by Venezuelan painter Armando Reveron (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 between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

for the museum's first retrospective devoted to a single Latin American artist in 50 years.Chris Kaul (January 28, 2009)
An art trove ends its nomadic phase
''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

''.

Personal life

Cisneros has been married to his wife,

Patricia Patricia is a female given name of Latin origin. Derived from the Latin word ''patrician'', meaning "noble"; it is the feminine form of the masculine given name Patrick. The name Patricia was the second most common female name in the United State ...

, since 1970.Suzanne Muchnic (August 19, 2007)
Spreading the riches
''

''. She has been a significant MoMA benefactor since 1992, she has been a trustee of the museum and 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 Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Page Museum). LACMA was founded in 19 ...

, the Hammer Museum, Long Beach's

Museum of Latin American Art The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) was founded by Dr. Robert Gumbiner in 1996 in Long Beach, California, United States and serves the greater Los Angeles area. MOLAA is the only museum in the United States dedicated to modern and contempora ...

, and the

Museo Reina Sofía Museo may refer to: * Museo, 2018 Mexican drama heist film *Museo (Naples Metro) Museo is a station on line 1 of the Naples Metro. It was opened on 5 April 2001 as the eastern terminus of the section of the line between Vanvitelli and Museo. ...

in Madrid also have received art loans. Phelps de Cisneros is an active member of the International Council and the Latin American Acquisitions Committee of

Tate Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...

, London; she is an International Trustee of the Fundación Amigos del Museo del Prado, Madrid; belongs to the Association Centre Pompidou América Latina; the Museum Berggruen’s International Council; and the American Friends of the Fondation Beyeler, among others. Cisneros has lived in the

since the 1990s. In addition to Venezuelan citizenship, Cisneros also holds United States, Spanish and Dominican citizenship. Through his father,

's paternal side, Cisneros is related to

Pablo de Hita y Salazar Pablo de Hita y Salazar (1646–date of death unknown) was a Spanish military officer who served as governor of Spanish Florida (''La Florida'') from 1675 to 1680. The territory at the time stretched from current-day Florida west to Texas and nort ...

, who was the 27º Governor of La Florida from 1674 to 1680. As a tribute to his father, Cisneros published a book about the Cisneros family tree.

Commendations

* 1979: Orden Isabel la Católica, Grado Encomienda (1 collar, 1 medallita, 1 botón) – Spain * 1999-01-22: 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 * 1982-11-23: 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 * 1984-01-12: Orden Andrés Bello, Banda de Honor (1 medalla, 1 botón) – Venezuela * 1984-05-16: Orden Isabel la Católica, Grado Encomienda de Número (1 collar, 1 placa, 4 medallitas, 2 botones) – Spain * 1984-06-12: Orden del Libertador, Gran Oficial, Segunda Clase (1 medalla, 1 botón – Venezuela * 1990-12: Orden del Libertador, Gran Cordón (2 medallas, 1 botón) – Venezuela * 2004-10-30: Orden del Congreso de Colombia en el Grado de Oficial – Colombia * 2004-10-30: 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 The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet ...

* 2001: International Emmy Directorate Award * 2004:

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

Woodrow Wilson Center The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (or Wilson Center) is a quasi-government entity and think tank which conducts research to inform public policy. Located in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Was ...

Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service Woodrow Wilson Awards are given out in multiple countries each year by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars of the Smithsonian Institution to individuals in both the public sphere and business who have shown an outstanding commitm ...

* 2005:

MIPCOM MIPCOM (Marché International des Programmes de Communication, English: International Market of Communications Programmes) is an annual trade show held in the French town of Cannes, traditionally in the month of October and running for 4 days. It ...

, Personality of the YearVariety, October 7, 2005 * Advertising Educational Foundation, Lifetime Achievement Award * 2015:

NATPE The National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) is a professional association of television and emerging media executives. The organization was established in 1963. NATPE implements its mission by providing members with educati ...

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 research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, i ...

Doctor of humane letters The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (; DHumLitt; DHL; or LHD) is an honorary degree awarded to those who have distinguished themselves through humanitarian and philanthropic contributions to society. The criteria for awarding the degree differ ...

Leadership

Americas Society The Americas Society is an organization dedicated to education, debate, and dialogue on the Americas. It is located at 680 Park Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and was established by David Rockefeller in 1965. The Americas Society pr ...

, Chairman's International Advisory Council * Babson College, Board of Overseers *

Barrick Gold Corporation Barrick Gold Corporation is a mining company that produces gold and copper with 16 operating sites in 13 countries. It is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It has mining operations in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Côte d'Ivoire, Democrat ...

, 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 Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

, 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, University Council, Member *

RRE Ventures RRE Ventures is an American Venture Capital firm based in New York City. The firm primarily invests in seed, series A and series B rounds and focuses on companies operating in the software, internet, communications, aerospace, robotics, 3D printi ...

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 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., doing business as Chase Bank or often as Chase, is an American national bank headquartered in New York City, that constitutes the consumer and commercial banking subsidiary of the U.S. multinational banking and fi ...

, International Advisory Committee *

DirecTV DirecTV (trademarked as DIRECTV) is an American multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital satellite service serving the United States. I ...

, Executive Committee *

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

, Board of Trustees and the Latin American Board *

Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst HM Capital Partners was a private equity firm in the United States that specialized in leveraged buyouts. The firm was previously known as Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst. It was founded in 1989 by Tom Hicks and John Muse as Hicks, Muse & Co. and was c ...

, Latin America Strategy Board of Directors *

, Chairman's Council *

Panama Canal Authority The Panama Canal Authority ( es, Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (ACP)) is the agency of the government of Panama responsible for the operation and management of the Panama Canal. The ACP took over the administration of the canal from the Panama ...

, Board Member * Panamerican Beverages, Inc., Board Member *

Power Corporation of Canada Power Corporation of Canada () is a management and holding company that focuses on financial services in North America, Europe and Asia. Its core holdings are insurance, retirement, wealth management and investment management, including a portfol ...

, Advisory Council * Pueblo International, LLC, Board Member *

Queen Sofia Spanish Institute Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

, Board of Directors *

The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in 1951, The Nat ...

, Latin America Conservation Council * United Nations Association of the United States, Member * Univision Communications, Board Member *

World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...

, Board of Governors for the Media, Communications and Entertainment Industries

References

External links

Gustavo Cisneros
at ''

'' * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cisneros, Gustavo 1945 births Living people 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