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Michael Redstone
Michael Redstone
Michael Redstone
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Michael "Mickey" Redstone (born Max Rothstein;[2] April 11, 1902 – April 4, 1987) was an American entrepreneur and founder of the Northeast Theater Corporation, later National Amusements, Inc. now Paramount Skydance.[3]

Key Information

Biography

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Redstone was born on April 11, 1902, in Boston, Massachusetts.[4] Born Max Rothstein, at his son Sumner's behest, he later changed the family name to "Redstone" to avoid association with Jewish gambling boss Arnold Rothstein.[5]

Redstone dropped out of high school to pursue his first business venture, buying a truck and securing a trucking contract with the City of Boston. During this period, he became close with local gambling boss Harry "Doc" Sagansky.[5] In 1934, Redstone and Sagansky started a Boston nightclub, the Mayfair, and purchased a drive-in theater in Valley Stream, Long Island. Both ventures were funded by Sagansky, who contributed "hundreds of thousands of dollars" to Redstone's businesses.[5][6][7] The pair also started a Massachusetts loan company, and opened an additional night club, the Latin Quarter, in 1943.[4][7]

In 1936, Redstone established the Northeast Theater Corporation, which grew rapidly as Redstone purchased land throughout the northeast and built new drive-in theaters.[4][8] His first in Massachusetts, the Dedham Drive-In, opened on August 11, 1948, though others in the state quickly followed.[9]

By 1954, when his son Sumner left his job to work for the company, Redstone owned three drive-in theaters and had hired his son Edward to help with the business.[8] On August 28, 1959, Northeast was reincorporated as National Amusements, Inc. to consolidate the family's ownership interests and make it easier to obtain financing.[10][11]

His son, Sumner Redstone, grew National Amusements into one of the largest media conglomerates in the United States, owning one of the three broadcast networks in CBS, the cable television and content provider Viacom (which includes MTV Networks and BET), and the movie studio Paramount Pictures. CBS and Viacom are equal partners in MovieTickets.com.

References

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Michael Redstone

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Michael Redstone is an American businessman and member of the Redstone family, notable for his role in the family-owned Inc. (NAI), a major theater chain that formerly controlled significant stakes in media conglomerates including (formerly ViacomCBS), and for initiating a prominent against family members over alleged mismanagement of family shares. Born as the son of Edward Stanton Redstone (1928–2011), brother of media executive (1923–2020), Michael is Sumner's nephew and cousin to Sumner's children, and . He worked at NAI, the founded by his grandfather Michael "" Redstone in the mid-20th century, which grew into a powerhouse that controlled assets like , , , and through its media investments. During his career, reportedly provided support for Michael's employment and education at the company. In November 2006, Michael Redstone, along with trustees representing interests of Redstone family members, filed a lawsuit in against his uncle and father Edward Redstone, accusing them of , breaches of fiduciary duty, and . The suit alleged that share redemption transactions in 1972 and the early 1980s undervalued and deprived Michael and his late sister, Ruth Ann Redstone, of their rightful inheritance in NAI, which was then worth an estimated $8 billion; it sought damages equivalent to a 50% stake in the company. NAI described the claims as baseless, noting Sumner's prior assistance to Michael. In December 2009, a Massachusetts judge ruled in favor of , dismissing the case and upholding the validity of the share transactions. The legal battle highlighted longstanding tensions within the Redstone family dynasty, which has been marked by multiple intra-family disputes over control of NAI and its media empire, including separate suits by against his father Sumner. These tensions culminated in the 2025 merger of with , ending the Redstone family's in the media assets. Despite the outcome, the case underscored Michael's position as a peripheral but litigious figure in one of America's most influential media families.

Early Life

Birth and Family Background

Michael Redstone was born Max Rothstein on April 11, 1902, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Morris Rothstein and Rebecca Rothstein (née Bornstein), Eastern European Jewish immigrants who had settled in the city. Morris Rothstein, who had emigrated from what is now Ukraine around 1892, operated a bakery supply business with his brothers, supporting the family through modest means in Boston's working-class neighborhoods. The Rothsteins lived in poverty amid the bustling Jewish immigrant community of Boston's West End, a dense enclave of Eastern European Jews where families often faced economic hardship and frequent relocations within the city to find . The family later moved to the neighborhood, continuing their life in similar immigrant enclaves characterized by tight-knit Jewish networks and cultural traditions. In adulthood, Rothstein anglicized his first name to Michael and adopted the nickname "," while changing the family surname to Redstone around 1940—a literal English translation of "Rothstein" that sounded less overtly Jewish and helped avoid associations with the infamous gambler . This name change reflected broader patterns of assimilation among second-generation Jewish Americans in early 20th-century . The family expanded with the birth of his son Sumner in 1923.

Early Career

Michael Redstone began his professional life in during the 1910s and 1920s with modest jobs that reflected the demands of his immigrant family's circumstances. As a youth, he sold newspapers on the streets to help support his household, an experience that underscored the value of perseverance in the face of limited opportunities. Later in the decade, he worked as a , gaining practical skills in and delivery while navigating the city's bustling economy. The , beginning in 1929, profoundly shaped Redstone's early career by creating widespread economic hardship that forced him to adopt an opportunistic and resourceful approach to earning a living. Amid soaring and financial instability, he transitioned to peddling door-to-door, a role that required direct salesmanship and quick adaptation to customer needs in a contracting market. Following the repeal of in , he took a position in his brother-in-law's , capitalizing on the sudden legalization of alcohol sales to secure steady income during the ongoing crisis. These roles highlighted his ability to identify and exploit emerging niches for survival and modest gains. Redstone's first independent ventures emerged in the early 1930s as he sought greater autonomy, including operations in liquor distribution that built on his store experience. In 1934, he partnered with associate Harry "Doc" Sagansky to open Boston's Mayfair nightclub, marking his entry into the entertainment sector and managing daily operations and hospitality services. In 1945, he expanded by purchasing Boston's Latin Quarter nightclub from Lou Walters, the father of journalist Barbara Walters. These moves represented his initial forays into leisure and performance venues, setting the stage for his later focus on theaters while demonstrating his knack for turning underutilized assets into profitable enterprises during economic recovery.

Business Career

Michael Redstone worked at Inc. (NAI), the family-owned theater chain founded by his grandfather. His uncle provided support for his employment and education at the company. As of the mid-2000s, he was described as a productive employee at NAI.

Personal Life

Marriage and Children

Michael David Redstone was born on December 23, 1957, in . He had a sister, Ruth Ann Redstone (August 7, 1954 – April 21, 1987). Redstone was married twice. His first wife was Shelley Redstone. He later married Joy Redstone, who had two children from a previous relationship, Laurel and Galen. The couple resided in . Redstone and Shelley had three children: Jesse, Alex, and Emily Redstone.

Later Years and Death

In his later years, Redstone lived in , after previously residing in , . Redstone died on May 8, 2014, in , at the age of 56. He was buried on May 13, 2014, in . A celebration of life was held on June 22, 2014, at Willowbend Country Club in .

Legacy

Impact on the Entertainment Industry

Michael Redstone's contributions to the entertainment industry were primarily through his employment at Inc. (NAI), the family-owned theater chain founded by his grandfather. While not in a leadership role, his work supported the operations of a company that controlled major media assets, including stakes in ViacomCBS. Sumner Redstone provided assistance for Michael's position and education at NAI, though specific details of his operational impact remain limited in public records.

Family Business Succession

Michael Redstone's legacy is most notably tied to intra-family legal disputes over NAI shares, highlighting tensions in the Redstone dynasty's succession. In 2006, he sued his uncle and father Edward Redstone, alleging and undervaluation of shares redeemed in 1972 and the early 1980s, which deprived him and his late sister Ruth Ann of inheritance potentially worth billions in the then-$8 billion ; the sought damages equivalent to a 50% stake. NAI called the claims baseless, citing Sumner's prior support for Michael. In December 2009, a Massachusetts judge dismissed the case in favor of Sumner, upholding the transactions. This litigation, part of broader family conflicts including suits by Sumner's son Brent, underscored challenges in managing succession and fiduciary duties in the closely held NAI, influencing public perceptions of the Redstone family's control over its media empire.

References

  1. https://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyle/nephew-sues-viacom-chairman-sumner-redstone-idUSN20309133/
  2. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-nov-21-fi-redstone21-story.html
  3. https://familybusinessmagazine.com/uncategorized/sumner-redstone-prevails-in-nephews-suit-against-him/
  4. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/21/business/media/family-laundry-redux.html
  5. https://www.paramount.com/press/skydance-media-and-paramount-global-complete-merger-creating-next-generation-media-company
  6. https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/michael-redstone-24-kg4k4v
  7. https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2016-04-11/ty-article/.premium/1902-patriarch-of-lawsuit-happy-redstone-family-is-born/0000017f-f622-d044-adff-f7fb5f8b0000
  8. https://cmgpartners.ca/content/uploads/2023/02/Redstone-Story-v6.pdf
  9. https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2009/11/23/trouble-in-the-house-of-redstone/
  10. https://www.buquad.com/2013/03/04/b-who-sumner-redstone/
  11. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/126889614/michael-redstone
  12. https://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/national-amusements-inc-history/
  13. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/aug/12/sumner-redstone-obituary
  14. https://richardvacca.com/latin-quarter-closes/
  15. https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/06/23/redstone-drama-may-movie-biz-love-story/YrmWFYefuoKnwnG9x40d8K/story.html
  16. https://www.encyclopedia.com/books/politics-and-business-magazines/national-amusements-inc
  17. https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2007/1112/108.html
  18. https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/boulder-co/michael-redstone-5966101
  19. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/216541088/ruth-ann-redstone
  20. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/bostonglobe/name/michael-redstone-obituary?id=18588155
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