C harles Ergen is a tenacious and often contrarian American entrepreneur who co-founded and chairs Dish Network, a major U.S. satellite television provider. A professional gambler turned businessman, Ergen started his company in 1980 with his wife, Cantey, and a friend, selling large C-band satellite dishes out of the back of a truck in rural Colorado. This modest beginning was the start of what would become a major force in the American pay-TV industry.

He built Dish Network by directly challenging the established cable and satellite providers, often through aggressive pricing and marketing. Ergen is also known for his long-term strategic vision and his foresight in acquiring a massive portfolio of wireless spectrum licenses, worth tens of billions of dollars. For years, the market was unsure of his plans for this spectrum, but he is now using it to build a new 5G wireless network from the ground up, aiming to pivot Dish from a declining satellite TV business into a major new player in the U.S. wireless market. He recently merged Dish with satellite communications company EchoStar, which he also controls.