Herb Allen Jr. built Allen & Co. into a powerhouse in Hollywood finance, transforming the landscape with strategic investments. He shares insights on how his bank played a crucial role in revitalizing Columbia Pictures and the significance of the renowned Sun Valley conference for media moguls. His journey includes tales of calculated risks and the art of deal-making in the entertainment industry, showcasing how his family-run firm became integral to Hollywood's financial ecosystem.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Columbia Pictures Deal
Herb Allen Jr. turned a $1 million Columbia Pictures investment into $40 million in nine years.
This deal taught him valuable lessons about operational efficiency and the importance of relationships.
insights INSIGHT
Value-Based Advisory
Herb Allen Jr. believed that true advisory comes from deep industry knowledge, creative deal structuring, and strong relationships.
He prioritized value creation over upfront fees, a revolutionary approach in investment banking.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Weekly Lunches
Herb Allen Jr. implemented weekly Wednesday lunches to foster collaboration among deal makers at Allen & Co.
This shift from individual silos to a collaborative environment proved highly successful.
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Learn how Herb Allen Jr built his fortune and created Allen & Co to be Hollywood's premier merchant bank.
Sources
Books:
"The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life" by Alice Schroeder
"Hollywood Vault: Film Libraries before Home Video" by Eric Hoyt
"Engulfed: The Death of Paramount Pictures and the Birth of Corporate Hollywood" by Bernard F. Dick
"Steven Spielberg: A Biography" by Joseph McBride
Articles:
"Inside The Private World of Allen & Co." by Carol J. Loomis
"All Those Allens Back a Broadway Hit" by Robert J. Col
"Has Allen got a deal for you!" by Cary Reich
"Herbert Allen and his merry dealsters" by Dyan Machan
"Herbert A. Allen Institutional Investor Profile 1987"
"When Herb Allen Talks, Star Makers Listen" by Alan Citron
"Allen Puts No Stock in Wall Street Sages" by Charles Paikert
"Allen & Co. Connects Hollywood with Wall Street" by Randall Smith
"Inside The Annual Summer Camp For Billionaires in Sun Valley, Idaho" by Jim Dobson
"Show About Mother-In-Law Making Stark a Millionaire" by Hal Boyle
"Funny Girl Premieres As Movie" by Vincent Canby
"Who is Running The Columbia Pictures Show?" by Jack Egan
"Media-Mogul Madness" by Richard Turner
"Happy Ending" by Dan Dorfman
"Columbia Puts Puttnam in His Place" by Peg Tyre and Jeannette Walls
"In Hollywood she walks the other way" by John Hallowell
"How Are Things in Panicsville?" by Budd Schulberg
"Behind the Silence at Columbia Pictures- No Moguls, No Minions, Just Profits" by Chris Welles
"Stars Fell on Mismaloya" by Richard Oulahan
"My Battles with Barbra and Jon" by Frank Pierson
"Hollywood's Wall Street Connection" by Lucian K. Truscott IV
"Financial Gossip" by Jesse Bogue
"Sun Valley Daze" by Nikki Finks
"A Look at Future of Show Biz" by Charles Schreger
"Ray Stark—Hollywood's Deft Deal-Maker" by Philip K. Scheuer
"Investigating the Gulf of Streisand Incident" by Joyce Haber
"Paul Gallico's Best Seller Headed for Stage and Screen" by Louella Parsons
"Movie Discs Get a Big New Boost" by Dick Williams
"The Man Who Scored in Coca-Columbia" by Shawn Tully
"Entertainment: New Gold in the Hollywood Hills" - Time Magazine (1966)
"Show Business: Boston to Hollywood" - Time Magazine (1956)
"Orchestrating Columbia's Forward March" by Joyce Haber
"Tinsel returns to Columbia Studio" - Los Angeles AP (1975)
"Alan J. Hirschfield Story of a Movie Mogul" by Shirley Dodson Cobb
"Kerkorian to Seek 20% of Columbia" by Robert J. Cole
"Coke Expected to Acquire Columbia Pictures" by Thomas C. Hayes
"Schmoozing All the way to the Bank" by Leah Nathans Spiro
"State of the Arb" by Jason Zweig
"King of the Sports Deal" by David Whitford
"A Major Studio Player" by Michael Cieply
"Meeting of Moguls, if Not of Minds" by David D. Kirkpatrick
"Cashing In on Old Friends in High Places" by Barry Rehfeld
"Media Executives Lose their Edge" by Mark Landler