Richard 'Dick' Anthony Wolf is an American television producer, writer, and the self-made billionaire creator of the iconic Law & Order franchise. Born in New York City in 1946, his family was rooted in the media world; his father was an advertising executive. Wolf attended elite private schools before graduating from the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in 1969.

His career began in the world of advertising copywriting at Benton & Bowles, where he created famous commercials for Crest toothpaste (You can't beat Crest for fighting cavities) and the memorable slogan, 'I'm Cheryl, fly me' for National Airlines. While working in advertising, he dedicated his spare time to writing screenplays, recognizing his passion for storytelling, which led to a pivot to Hollywood.

Dick Wolf moved to Los Angeles and started his television career as a staff writer on Hill Street Blues, earning his first Emmy nomination for an episode he wrote solo. His defining creation, the Law & Order franchise, launched in 1990. His strategic vision was audacious: a procedural drama format that could be endlessly replicated, focusing on the crime and the judicial process rather than the characters' personal lives—a model of maximum efficiency and global appeal.

The Law & Order franchise became one of television's most successful and longest-running dramatic shows in history (Special Victims Unit is the longest-running scripted primetime drama), earning him a colossal fortune from syndication rights. He successfully replicated this formula with the Chicago franchise (Chicago Fire, P.D., Med) and the FBI franchise. His wealth is secured by the long-term syndication value of his massive portfolio of television intellectual property (IP), cementing his legacy as the master of the television procedural genre.