D avid Geffen is a legendary American business magnate, producer, and philanthropist who has built a colossal fortune in the entertainment industry. The son of Jewish immigrants, he started his career in the mailroom of the William Morris Agency and quickly became a successful talent agent. He founded his first record label, Asylum Records, in 1971, signing iconic artists like the Eagles and Joni Mitchell. He later founded Geffen Records, which released blockbuster albums by artists such as John Lennon, Elton John, and Nirvana.

In 1990, he sold Geffen Records to MCA for a massive sum in stock, which became even more valuable when MCA was later sold. In 1994, he co-founded the film studio DreamWorks SKG with Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg, producing a string of hit films including *Saving Private Ryan* and *American Beauty*. A shrewd investor, he has since focused on managing his vast fortune, which includes one of the world's most valuable private art collections. He is also a major philanthropist, having made nine-figure donations to institutions like UCLA's medical school and the Museum of Modern Art.