WebRic Elias was given the gift of a miracle: to face near-certain death, and then to come back and live differently. The causes close to the hearts of this years signees range from improving early-childhood education in India to wildcat preservation. There are a number of retired pro athletes with kids that are high school or older who live in quite nice homes in South Charlotte, Ballantyne, and Marvin. Mr. Elias said Red Ventures has a nonnegotiable line concerning the editorial independence of its sites, adding that he has given his cell number to CNET employees and instructed them to call him if they ever face pressure from the business side. They are seeking to cover the replacement cost of what the lawsuit describes as faulty products that fog up and have deteriorated, The Charlotte Observer reported Thursday. J2 Media, a public company, scooped up the old publisher Ziff Davis with its online brands Mashable and IGN. Its location has helped obscure what is perhaps the biggest digital publisher in America, a 4,500-employee juggernaut that says it has roughly $2 billion in annual revenues, a conservative valuation earlier this year of more than $11 billion, and more readers, as measured by Comscore, than any media brand youve ever heard of an average of 751 million visits a month. Ric Elias: Probably never has been more true that you can die of indigestion as well of starvation. They spent the next few years digging out and repaying their investors, among them their more successful Harvard Business School classmates. Elias, a survivor of the US Airways flight 1549 with Capt. They're Latin. The company weathered the storm; by 2007 it was ranked fourth on the Inc. 500 list, and in 2015 the company was valuated at more than $1 billion. Vlezswife, Mariel Reyes, is the cofounder and CEO of Reprograma, a Brazil-based startup that helps marginalized women with computer programming and job placement. The Times story said the company has a conservative valuation of $11 billion, and Elias owns more than 20% of the company, putting his net worth over $2 billion. Puerto Rico's been in a recession for over a decade. The retired president of Abbott Laboratories, where he served as president and COO until 1989, Jack Schuler is a prolific healthcare investor, with stakes in at least 10 publicly traded and privately owned biotech companies. Ric Elias: you can see that we turned, so at best, everybody knew something happened to an engine. He is devoted to using his platform to "leave the woodpile higher than he found it" -- spinning out multiple nonprofits from Red Ventures over the years, all of which are aimed at creating educational opportunity and economic mobility for under-served groups. Founder, Chairman and CEO of BDT & Co. (Byron Trott), Byron Trott launched the Chicago-based advisory and private equity firm BDT & Co. in 2009 following a long career at Goldman Sachs, where he worked his way up from stockbroker to vice chairman. Brian Kelly: Did you really go from the Hudson back to LaGuardia? At the center of the company is Ric Elias, the chief executive and co-founder. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. They entered the business of selling subscriptions for DirecTV and burglar alarms for ADT Security. Red Ventures has turned very specific advice into very big business. All the trees were gone, and you could see things that you could never see before. It was super cold, and there's a guy that had a concession stand, and he opened it up and said, "Take whatever you want," to everybody. And if I get on this flight, and it goes down, it was me God was coming to see, so what are the odds? Thats the context in which Red Ventures a company that backed its way into media after specializing in online marketing makes sense. bio for Ric Elias agency, manager, speaker fees, speaking agency entertainment booking agency, speaker's fee, how to book, booking agencies for lectures, speaking event, celebrity appearances for hire, who is agent, manager, publicist, who represents, speakers bureau management who represents Ric Elias. The Times story said the company has a conservative valuation of $11 billion, and Elias owns more than 20% of the company, putting his net worth over $2 billion. Ric Elias is CEO/Co-Founder at Red Ventures. Tirades, Welcome to Charlotte, Things to do, Buying/Selling, and Charity are all weekly topics. Xu is the CEO of DoorDash, the restaurant delivery service he founded in 2013 with fellow Stanford University students Andy Fang and Stanley Tang. Brian Kelly: And so it's been an amazing gift to get that second chance. Its about a 24-minute drive to Bank of America Stadium, and a 28-minute drive from where the new Panthers headquarters facility will be in Rock Hill, just off I-77. A native of Puerto Rico, Elias attended Boston College and Harvard Business School before starting his career as part of GE's Financial Management program. Ric Elias is CEO/Co-Founder at Red Ventures. Before its 2020 acquisitions, the company has grown into an international presence with more than 100 brands, 3,000 employees, and operations in the United Kingdom and Brazil. So we wiped him out. He got hit in the head. I know there've been a lot of lifetimes, but how do you explain today what Red Ventures does? Elias's leadership style and personal life are deeply influenced by his experience as a survivor of Flight 1549, also known as the "Miracle on the Hudson." Brian Kelly: What's the biggest thing you've learned by acquiring The Points Guy? Ric Elias: We ended up in the same pier. And a lot of things we do don't necessarily make money right off the bat, but we're into this long-term brand game and giving our readers tons of value. Ric, I just want to say thank you for, like I said, being a mentor and a friend to me and truly breathing a lot of fresh new life into The Points Guy. Regardless of what the media says, these are the greatest of times to be alive. People working at the tourism guide Lonely Planet, the travel site The Points Guy and the health and medical information site Healthline were similarly blindsided in recent years, when Red Ventures bought up special interest publications in a multibillion-dollar shopping spree. So companies stopped investing in infrastructure and jobs left. But you've been incredibly generous." [1:35:30]; What is the most challenging part of your business today? And we have 200 employees in London and 100 in Brazil and 2,000 in the U.S. We have offices everywhere, so a bit of a mess, but a fun mess. That acquisition included The Points Guy, a site devoted to elucidating airline mileage programs and credit card deals. Ric Elias is the CEO and cofounder of Red Ventures, a portfolio of fast-growing digital businesses. Ric Elias: You know, I tracked him down. I was heading back home to Charlotte. Less gloomy, I think, is something else that Red Ventures represents: a challenge to the oligopolistic dominance of Amazon over the internet, and a model for independent media companies that have spent a generation either losing their core businesses to cheerfully ruthless tech giants or, at best, living on their scraps. WebRic Elias was given the gift of a miracle: to face near-certain death, and then to come back and live differently. There are a number of retired pro athletes with kids that are high school or older who live in quite nice homes in South Charlotte, Ballantyne, and Marvin. Ric Elias: In many ways it's lot of the people we have here in your office -- it's super ambitious people, but for something greater than themselves. Nubank, under the name Nu Holdings, listed its shares on the New York Stock Exchange last week and has grown to reachover 35 million customers spanning Brazil, Mexico and Colombia. BRB. WebIn this episode, Ric Elias, founder of Red Ventures, opens up about the fateful day he knew for certain that he was going to die as a passenger on US Airways Flight 1549. I think your daughter was in, what, first grade at the time. Having been a passenger on the Miracle on the Hudson plane in 2009, Red Ventures CEO Ric Elias is famously familiar with crashes. If you lose brand trust, then you dont have a business.. The Times story said the company has a conservative valuation of $11 billion, and Elias owns more than 20% of the company, putting his net worth over $2 billion. Thank you Peter and Ric. While a publisher recommending a gadget on Amazon might earn a single-digit percentage of a shoppers purchase, the bounties paid to Red Ventures for directing a consumer to a Chase Visa Sapphire Reserve credit card or an American Express Rose Gold card can range from $300 to $900 per card. So we're early in our journey. Half the time, I don't even know what I am apologizing for. I have many, many other jobs. Ric Elias: I did. and our And this first responder is amazing. He persuaded key investors the private equity firms General Atlantic and Silver Lake each own about 20 percent to back an ambitious expansion. Its about a 24-minute drive to Bank of America Stadium, and a 28-minute drive from where the new Panthers headquarters facility will be in Rock Hill, just off I-77. I'm like, "That doesn't narrow it down. WebRic Elias (on stairs). [16] The characterization came after the website Futurism found several articles published by Red Ventures properties, including CNET, were quietly written by artificial intelligence software,[17] with the stories containing numerous inaccuracies and instances of plagiarism. WebRed Ventures was formed on September 29, 1999, in Fort Mill, South Carolina by Ric Elias and Dan Feldstein. Comments including unnecessary profanity will be deleted. After suffering a life-changing bicycle accident that left him almost entirely paralyzed from the neck down, Jon Ayers was forced to leave his job leading the Westbrook, Maine-based veterinary diagnostics company IDEXX Laboratories in October 2019 after 17 years as CEO, president and chairman. Brian Kelly: And so Red Ventures made a name for itself really working with DIRECTV and having sales centers, basically connecting online to offline sales, right? As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. In addition to Lonely Planet, CNET, Healthline and The Points Guy, Red Ventures bought the education advice site BestColleges. Ric dives deep into how that day impacted his life, greatly changed his perspective, and improved his relationship with his famil In their letter, the couple describe the pledge as their starting point and say they plan to engage in efforts to address social issues in the areas that businesses cannot reach, including through discovering and supporting 100 innovators who are dedicated to building proactive solutions for social enterprises and foundations.. After a brief stint as Koreas richest person, Kim was knocked from the post in September when it was revealed Kakao was being probed by South Koreas antitrust regulator. Brian Kelly: So your idea to rebuild Puerto Rico is to invest in incentivize people to return to the island, and the 787 program is the vehicle to do that. But first and foremost, the role of a father, and doing my very best to help my kids be the best version of themselves, was my role. So integrating all of it for me was very clarifying. Ric Elias is the cofounder and CEO of Red Ventures, a digital media company based out of Charlotte, North Carolina. They wear their emotions on their sleeves. Brian Kelly: I know one of the things we keep hearing from our readers is doing TPG en Espanol, so maybe we'll have to start that group in the Puerto Rico office once that opens. And we believe in high bars. One way he achieves this is through RV's Forward787, a "movement focused on revitalizing Puerto Ricos economy." I said, "Captain," I introduce myself, and I said, "I just want to thank you for saving our lives." There are a number of retired pro athletes with kids that are high school or older who live in quite nice homes in South Charlotte, Ballantyne, and Marvin. Native of Puerto Rico, graduate of Boston College and Harvard Business School. Brian Kelly: Did you ever hear from him again? Here in Indian Land, I felt as if I were back in the Ping-Pong days of Silicon Valley in the early 2000s. Its also about a 26-minute drive from the old Eastland mall site, where Tepper plans to build an MLS headquarters. Ive always believed that if you're in a position to help somebody, you should do it, Bill Gates said in a statement announcing the new signees. WebRic Elias is CEO and co-founder of Red Ventures, a portfolio of digital companies headquartered in Charlotte, NC. Brian Kelly: Who should work at Red Ventures, and maybe, who shouldn't? He cofounded Red Ventures in 2000, just months before the dot-com bubble burst. Elias was on Flight 1549 when it unexpectedly landed unhurt on the Hudson River in 2009, an event he claims transformed his life. Okay, great.". [12] On December 1, 2020, Red Ventures bought Lonely Planet from Tennessee-based NC2 Media. Theres an, "This is how I would judge my life'Did I earn my gift? A lot of people ask me, a lot of our employees, "So how do you think about work/life balance?" And I had this feeling of the rebirth of Puerto Rico. And they were trying to decide, do they go back to LaGuardia, so they got clearance in LaGuardia. [ted.com]. He was so moved that he created a book titled How Facing Death Changed My Life (And My Business). You can either give your life to work or give your life to family. Her experience wasnt uncommon. So some of the other programs that we have, like the Golden Door Scholars, I think these are really amazing programs. But Points Guy journalists are required to attend regular business meetings detailing how much money the site makes from credit card sales, which some take as a tacit suggestion to put their thumbs on the scale. Anonymous comments will be deleted. Mr. Elias and Mr. Feldstein sold the business to management in 2005 and started again under the name Red Ventures, becoming pioneers in that eras efforts to link digital data and real world commerce. WebOn a cold afternoon in January 2009, Ric Elias was flying home to Charlotte, North Carolina, in seat 1D when he saw fear flood a flight attendant's eyes. She can't think straight. On this episode, you'll hear work-life balance advice, you'll be inspired to support a cause you're most passionate about and you'll learn a bit more about TPG's place in the Red Ventures ecosystem. AAE Named to Inc. Best Workplaces in 2022. Open Translation Project. Their company became one of the worlds most valuable startups in September when it raised $200 million in new funding at a valuation of $40 billion. However, his net worth has since fallen below $1 billion, according to Forbes estimates. We've got a very active reader base, but we spend a lot of money on brand. And I know we're super excited about some of this stuff that you've got coming out on your app and all these things. Ric Elias was given the gift of a miracle: to face near-certain death, and then to come back and live differently. And now Red Ventures is the largest in a group of private equity-backed giants that have been snapping up trusted media brands once left for dead. Those got phased out about 15 years ago. Ric Elias is CEO/Co-Founder at Red Ventures. Were going to have a chance to be an alternative to the big walled gardens, Mr. Elias said of his company. Chesley Sullenberger, is also the CEO and co-founder of Red Ventures, TPG's parent company. It has since grown to encompass signatories spanning 28 countries and ranging in age from 34 to 98, among whom are some of the worlds most high-profile billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg, MacKenzie Scott and Elon Musk. WebRic Elias is the co-founder and CEO of Red Ventures, a portfolio of digital companies headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. We're incubating a bunch of brands, as you know, and we have lots of plans and ideas. | Learn more about Ric Elias's work experience, education, connections & more by visiting their profile on LinkedIn Kim and Sul, who have three children, became Giving Pledge signatories in early 2021 with the belief that this pledge is the greatest inheritance that we could provide for our children., Founder and chairman of Kakao (Kim Beom-su), Kim Beom-su is the founder and chairman of Kakao, South Koreas biggest messaging app. It is a spectacular house. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Non-lame, weekly emails on thelatest strategies and tacticsfor increasing your lifespan, healthspan, and well-being (plus new podcast announcements). Call us to speak with a booking agent to discuss your event or specific speaker request. This was a pretty high-tech form of digital surveillance in those more innocent times. WebRic Elias was given the gift of a miracle: to face near-certain death, and then to come back and live differently. No one knew it was both engines, and no one knew that we couldn't start it. You can also follow Ric and Red Ventures on social; @ricelias and @redventures on Twitter, @_ricelias and @redventures on Instagram. I think we got plenty going on right now. Tech millionaires? In particular, he wants to continue with a project he has already started in collaboration with the Indian government: building a network of early childhood care centers aimed at leveling the playing field so all children can reach their full potential irrespective of the background they come from.. John Logger. And we have about 350 of these kids now over the last seven years, and our graduation rate is 99%. They think it's all this thing. So my thing is spinning and spinning and spinning, and then at some point, I just put it down. Ric Elias: The next cohort four will start in April. Having been a passenger on the Miracle on the Hudson plane in 2009, Red Ventures CEO Ric Elias is famously familiar with crashes. And we helped a lot of brands kind of become digitized in their acquisition. *If you enjoy this podcast, you are sure to enjoy 3 Things with Ric Eliasa podcast that gleans insights from remarkable people and hosted by Ric himself (Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Play)*, Subscribe to The Drive: APPLE PODCASTS | RSS | GOOGLE | OVERCAST | STITCHER. It's about 70% females and all minorities and all studying really valuable fields for the future of our country. Schuurman has since turned much of his focus to philanthropy and is described by The Giving Pledge as devoting all his time and resources to protecting and preserving the planet for future generations. In 2014, he founded FutureNL, a foundation aimed at improving digital literacy in primary and secondary schools in the Netherlands. Half the time, I don't even know what I am apologizing for. Mr. Elias, who spoke with me in the companys bright and sprawling cafeteria, had played basketball that morning with a former N.B.A. He cofounded Red Ventures in 2000, just months before the dot-com bubble burst. Would you say that there's a correlation there about the way you do business and thinking less fearfully in the way you do business? He is a friend and a mentor to me, and I guess technically -- actually not technically -- he is my boss. Plus, your own feed of TPG content. So you were on that flight. So right now, we're looking for others that want to apply. In Puerto Rico, there was this 936 law where it created a lot of manufacturing jobs. [1:32:50]; What is the next big problem that Ric wants to solve? The arrival of Red Ventures executives hasnt always gone over well among the journalists who find themselves working under Mr. Elias. So on that plane ride I said, "You know what? WebRic Elias was given the gift of a miracle: to face near-certain death, and then to come back and live differently. A lot of people think that Puerto Rico is the center of the world, and out of that comes great pride in being Puerto Rican, which is a beautiful thing. I hear you are Concierge Key for American Airlines, but they recently kicked you out. The South Carolina campus of Red Ventures, a digital media company with 4,500 employees, some of whom live on site. That has helped push the pendulum back toward the old-fashioned idea of connecting with readers seeking information relevant to their lives, whether its a Field & Stream article on the latest fly rods or a Healthline guide to Crohns disease treatments. He returned from that near-death experience determined to remake his life and his company. WebRic Elias is the co-founder and CEO of Red Ventures, a portfolio of digital companies headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. I cover the world's richest people for Forbes. He is devoted to using his platform to "leave the woodpile higher than he found it" -- spinning out multiple nonprofits from Red Ventures over the years, all of which are aimed at creating educational opportunity and economic mobility for under-served groups. And what we've learned is that if you create value for your consumers, you can build a great business, and that's, I think, the epitome of what The Points Guy is. And you know the feeling is mutual, and I'm just excited about the journey ahead. Ric Elias: Why is it an or and not an and? Two of the three cofounders of design unicorn Canva, Perkins and Obrecht are worth an estimated $6.5 billion each. You know, Puerto Rico has had a massive brain drain. I have two amazing teenagers that I love to tears. Red Ventures headquarters in Indian Land, South Carolina, "Red Ventures adding jobs as it integrates ViacomCBS' CNET Media Group", "Why This $2 Billion Business Swears By the 'Pencil Rule', "Red Ventures CEO: We're going to keep growing", "Ric Elias and Dan Feldstein, Red Ventures", "ViacomCBS sells CNET Media for less than half what CBS paid in 2008", "Silver Lake Makes Big Bet on Red Ventures, a Digital Marketing Company", "Red Ventures breaks ground on project to double size of its headquarters", "Red Ventures buying company with important postal contract", "Personal Finance Website Bankrate to be Acquired by Marketing Firm Red Ventures", "Bankrate website to be bought by Red Ventures for $1.24bn", "ViacomCBS to Sell CNET to Red Ventures for $500 Million", "Red Ventures gobbles up another familiar brand name. WebRic Elias is CEO and co-founder of Red Ventures, a portfolio of digital companies headquartered in Charlotte, NC. Brian Kelly: Likewise. Comments that harass other posters will be deleted. Together, the billionaire newcomers are worth an estimated $48.1 billion, with Canvas married cofounders Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht the richest among them with a collective estimated net worth of $13 billion. I actually moved to the U.S. to come to college and fell in love with this country, so I love two countries now. In this episode, Elias shares more about Forward787, as well as several other of RV's social impact organizations like Golden Door Scholars, Road to Hire, and LifeSports. Ric Elias: And it's a payback model. The son of a Swiss immigrant, Schuler has also focused heavily on giving back, including through the Schuler Scholar Program, which he cofounded in 2001 to help underrepresented students succeed in high school and apply to college. Before its 2020 acquisitions, the company has grown into an international presence with more than 100 brands, 3,000 employees, and operations in the United Kingdom and Brazil. The correct number is 11. In 2018, Elias launched Forward787, a social enterprise committed to raising and deploying $100 million to build businesses in Puerto Rico that compete with the world's top companies. Among BDTs first investments was grill-maker Weber, which went public in August 2021 at a $5 billion valuation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider#In_popular_culture, I like this interesting post, and humans longevity can be indefinitely extended being discovered by Allen Omton and Serge Dobrow. A startup community that doesn't have kind of the next layer of infrastructure and investment, it's hard for it to grow, but I think Puerto Rico is on the right track in that dimension. We built 42 homes for working families that were not going to get their homes replaced, and it was really neat to do that. And if I get on this flight, and it goes down, and I survive again then Oprah Winfrey's got nothing on me.". Scan this QR code to download the app now. Ric Elias: Yeah. And I think because we're U.S. citizens, when you're born there, it's really easy to get on a plane, and many people have family here or in Orlando or in other places, so it becomes a much easier immigration story than it will be in other countries where it's not as easy. So we have provided tons of value to our partners, huge brands. I was proud of what we built before, but I think being a part of Red Ventures has given us new purpose. And I think that passion is what we're trying to ignite, and going back home will be the beginning of a long journey back. You just have this feeling. Red Ventures is an American media company, which owns and operates brands such as Lonely Planet, CNET, ZDNet, The Points Guy, Healthline and Bankrate. He and his wife, Brenda, are passionate about economic mobility for underserved young adults. translators. It also includes 11 people who Forbes lists as billionaires, up from the seven billionaires who signed onto the pledge in 2020 (the total number of new members also increased from 11 last year). It was about 4,000 or so feet up in the air. So we have this very long clock, and what is unique about that is that it allows us to behave differently. Red Ventures roots in marketing, its investment in tech aimed at selling you something and its almost-accidental move into trying to provide readers with trusted, even journalistic, advice have made for an odd amalgam. Half the time, I don't even know what I am apologizing for. Vaccinated employees have lunch in a dining area on Red Ventures 180-acre campus. The "787" is a play on one of the telephone area codes used in Puerto Rico. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Ric Elias, CEO and co-founder of Red Ventures, and his wife, Brenda, are suing the 24,500-square-foot houses Charlotte architect and builder, along with the manufacturer of the doors and windows. It shouldn't be an or. We are going to do this and continue to do this for a long, long time. Elias was on Flight 1549 when it unexpectedly landed unhurt on the Hudson River in 2009, an event he claims transformed his life. And I've had the greatest run in my marriage, any marriages ever have. Some of them don't even go to private schools. It's just a really warm culture, and it's a beautiful place. It's been almost 20 years. #252 Latest insights on Alzheimers disease, cancer, exercise, nutrition, and fasting | Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D. Cognitive Health & Neurodegenerative Disease, #251 AMA #46: Optimizing brain health: Alzheimers disease risk factors, APOE, prevention strategies, and more, #250 Training principles for longevity | Andy Galpin, Ph.D. (PART II). A native of Puerto Rico, Elias attended Boston College and Harvard Business School before starting his career as part of GE's Financial Management program. Russias War On Ukraine: News And Information From Ukraine, Serious Omissions In Senate Probe Clearing Brett Kavanaugh Of Sexual Assault, Report Says, One-Hour Diabetes Procedure Offers Fresh Hope For Ditching Insulin, who disclosed his participation in The Giving Pledge last month. Please remember to subscribe to Talking Points, rate the show, and share with your friends. Please Note: All American Speakers Bureau is a full-service talent booking agency providing information on booking Ric Elias for speaking engagements, personal appearances and corporate events. Brian Kelly: Yeah, three governors in a couple week period. Ric Elias Ted Talks A native of Puerto Rico, Elias attended Boston College and Harvard Business School before starting his career as part of GEs Financial Management program. Ric Elias: You know, a lot. WebIn this episode, Ric Elias, founder of Red Ventures, opens up about the fateful day he knew for certain that he was going to die as a passenger on US Airways Flight 1549. Ric Elias: They usually start with a phone call on a Saturday where I call somebody who goes, "I have an idea." His wife Bomi Sul founded a social networking service. They couldn't land. Brian Kelly: I was in Mexico. I felt the compassion of others and all of that. What happened to him?" Ric Elias: Born and raised. 3 Things I learned When My Plane Crashed.. Its about a 24-minute drive to Bank of America Stadium, and a 28-minute drive from where the new Panthers headquarters facility will be in Rock Hill, just off I-77. The marketing of financial products promises far higher profit margins than the online affiliate businesses that underlie websites like The New York Timess Wirecutter. Most employees dont receive equity in the company, and lunch isnt free, just subsidized.