Harvey Weinstein, CBE is a renowned American film and television who co-founded the famous ‘Miramax’ distribution studio along with brother Bob Weinstein. The studio has produced more than a 100 successful Hollywood films which have won 75 Academy Awards and 65 BAFTA Awards, as well as hundreds of nominations across various categories. In 2005, the brothers co-founded another production company, ‘The Weinstein Company’ which has continued to repeat the magic created by ‘Miramax’.
Under the two hugely successful production studios, Weinstein has produced numerous superhit films which have gone on to achieve cult status. Films such as ‘Pulp Fiction’, ‘Sex, Lies, and Videotape’, ‘The Lord of the Rings’ franchise, ‘The English Patient’, ‘The Aviator’, ‘Inglorious Basterds’, and ‘Django Unchained’, are among some of the numerous hit films produced under the two banners. Weinstein was fired from the board of ‘The Weinstein Company’ in October 2017 following a public scandal for alleged sexual misconduct.
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Early Life and Education
Weinstein was born on the 19th of March 1952 in Flushing, New York. The oldest of the two children of diamond cutter Max and his home-maker wife Miriam Postel, Weinstein grew in the Electchester housing co-op along with his younger brother Bob. He was raised as a Jew.
Weinstein attended the John Bowne High School from where he graduated. He completed his college degree from the State University of New York, Buffalo. In the 1970s, the Weinstein brothers along with their partner Corky Burger became producers of independent rock concerts under the banner Harvey & Corky Productions in Buffalo. Weinstein’s alma-mater, SUNY, felicitated him with an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2000.
Career Rise
In the 1970’s, the Weinstein brothers founded the independent film distribution company, ‘Miramax’, which they named after their parents. (Miriam and Max). The studio originally produced art-house films and started gaining recognition in 1982 with the release of ‘The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball’ which became hugely successful in raising money for the human rights organization, Amnesty International. Weinstein then produced the ‘Sex, Lies, and Videotape’ in 1989, which effectively propelled Miramax to the position of one of the most successful film studios in USA.
In the decade between the 1990’s and 2000′, Miramax and Disney studios entered an ownership deal with the latter offering the former $80 Million. The deal was successful with the Weinstein brothers keeping their company head positions. Under the partnership, the banner produced films like ‘Pulp Fiction’, and ‘Clerks’. In 1997, the Weinsteins won their first Academy award for the film ‘The English Patient’. The studio produced one blockbuster after another with films such as ‘Good Will Hunting’, ‘Shakespeare in Love’, ‘Gangs of New York’, ‘Reservoir Dogs’, ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Franchises etc. The Weinstein brothers bowed out of ‘Miramax’ and Disney in 2005 to form another production studio, ‘The Weinstein Company’ which delivered several super-hits such as ‘Inglorious Basterds’, ‘Silver Linings Playbook’, ‘Django Unchained’ among others. In October 2017, Weinstein was fired by the board members of ‘The Weinstein Company’ in October 2017, following allegations of sexual assault, harassment and misconduct.
Wives
Weinstein has been married twice. He got married to his assistant Eve Chilton in November 1997, with whom he fathered three daughters named Lily, Emma and Ruth. The couple divorced in February 2004. Weinstein then married English actress and fashion designer Georgina Chapman in December 2007. Together, the couple has two children, a daughter, India Pearl and a son, Dasheill. In October 2017, Chapman announced that she was separating from him.
first wife Eve Chilton
with second wife Georgina Chapman
Harvey Weinstein – Scandal
In October 2017, Weinstein became the subject of a national scandal when he was accused of rape by two New York reporters, which was followed by several of his victims coming forward to share their stories, including high profile celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Rosanna Arquette. Although in the past, Weinstein’s associates from ‘The Weinstein Company’, allegedly used tactics like, monetary pay-offs, nondisclosure agreements and legal threats to suppress these stories, he was fired for his misconduct in October 2017.
Net worth
Weinstein has an estimated net worth of approximately of £153 million.