Biography
Sumner Redstone — media (viacom) with roots in the Russian Empire
Sumner Redstone (born Sumner Murray Rothstein; 1923–2020) was an American media magnate. Through National Amusements, the family theatre chain re-incorporated under that name in 1959, he controlled Viacom and CBS, whose holdings included MTV, Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures.
Russian Connection
Tracing the roots — Kyiv (Ukraine)
His mother, Belle Ostrovsky, was the daughter of Jewish immigrants who came to the United States from Kyiv (Russian Empire) early in the 20th century. His father, Michael Rothstein, was born in Boston in 1902 to Jewish immigrants from Kozova in Galicia (Austria-Hungary).
Family Tree
Subject
Sumner Redstone🇺🇸 USA
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Grandparents
Michael Rothstein
Belle Ostrovsky
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Origin
Kyiv (Ukraine)🇷🇺 Russian Empire
Historical context
Russian Empire · c. 1721–1917
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Kyiv (Ukraine). At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.
Map: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Key Achievements
A career defined by ambition
01
Controlled Viacom and CBS
02
Holdings included MTV, Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures
03
National Amusements theatre chain (re-incorporated 1959)
04
Net worth estimated by Forbes at $3 billion at his death (2020)
05
Subject of extensive litigation in his final years
Sources