Marc Bell (entrepreneur) explained

Marc H. Bell
Occupation:Managing Partner,
Marc Bell Capital
Founder and CEO,
Globix, Chairman and CEO,
Terran Orbital
Citizenship:American
Alma Mater:Babson College, New York University
Boards:Armour Residential REIT, Terran Orbital
Known For:Former owner of Penthouse magazine[1] [2] [3] [4]

Marc Bell is an American financier and entrepreneur. He is the managing partner of Marc Bell Capital, a Boca Raton, Florida-based firm founded in 2002.[5] He is also a producer of plays, musicals and movies.

Education

Bell graduated from Scarsdale High School in the Class of 1985. He later on earned his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Babson College and a Master of Science degree in real estate development and investment from New York University.[6]

Career

Bell founded the web hosting company that eventually became Globix Corporation in 1989 at the age of 21 and served as its CEO and chairman of the board through the company's IPO in 1996[7] and into the dot-com bubble; as the company crashed along with the stock market in 2001 as its main internet data centers were located in lower Manhattan,[8] Bell as board chairman moved Peter Stevenson into the CEO role.[9] Its market capitalization fell from almost $2.4 billion[10] in 1999 to $5.87 million in 2002 when it went through Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to its inability to recover from the September 11, 2001 attack.[11] [12]

In 2001, he joined the Board of Trustees of New York University and Board of Overseers New York University School of Medicine.[6] [13]

Through his company Marc Bell Capital, Bell is an investor and partner in restaurants and nightclubs in New York City in ventures such as Artichoke Pizza and Lavo.[6] [14]

In 2004, Bell and a partner acquired Penthouse magazine for $52 million in a bankruptcy auction through a vehicle they called "Penthouse Media Group",[6] [15] [16] and in 2007 Penthouse Media Group acquired Various, which included networking site AdultFriendFinder.com for $500 million[6] and Bell and his partner renamed the company Friend Finder Networks.[16] In the 2008 Bell attempted to enter the Las Vegas casino market and was interviewed by Robin Leach about his intentions; he brought Penthouse models with him to the interview.[17]

Bell has produced musicals and plays such as Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages, The Wedding Singer,, and A Catered Affair.[14] His production Jersey Boys won a Tony Award for Best Musical in 2006 and August: Osage County won Best Play in 2008.[18] Jersey Boys was the eighth highest grossing show in the history of Broadway with worldwide revenue of $1,644,848,098.[19] [20] Bell also won a Tony Award for Best Play in 2024 for Stereophonic (play)[21]

In 2010 Bell, through Friend Finder Networks, tried to acquire Playboy Enterprises but was rebuffed after a $210 million bid.[6] [22]

The Friend Finder Networks company and the Penthouse magazine that it owned filed for bankruptcy protection on September 17, 2013. FriendFinder’s current common stock was wiped out and was no longer traded on the open market. In August 2013, FriendFinder's stock was delisted from Nasdaq because it consistently failed to trade for more than $1.[23] [16]

In 2013 Bell created The Boca Raton Police Foundation.[24] He later retired as chairman in 2024.[25]

Bell put his house in Boca Raton on the market for $35 million; it included a room modeled after the bridge of the Enterprise D from .[26] The listing was removed in May, 2019.[27] CNBC did a special on the house in 2014.[28]

On September 13, 2017, Bell took in 70 foster kids who were displaced during a Hurricane Irma from local shelters.[29] [30]

He is a co-founder and the chief executive officer for Terran Orbital, a manufacturer of small satellites.[31] [32] Terran Orbital received $100 million investment from Lockheed Martin[33] Terran added a satellite to the permanent display of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in March 2023[34]

On August 15th, 2024, Bell agreed to sell Terran Orbital to Lockheed Martin for 25 cents per share,[35] resulting in a massive hit to shareholders.[36]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The President and the porn stars: Bill Clinton, adult actresses Brooklyn Lee and Tasha Reign, and a 10-second photo op. masslive.com. 25 May 2012 . 23 January 2016. ...as the guest of Marc Bell, the CEO of the corporation that owns Penthouse Magazine....
  2. Web site: Penthouse Owner: Leave Bill Clinton Alone. ABC News. 23 January 2016.
  3. Web site: Special Feature: Meet Penthouse mogul Marc Bell, the man who plans to change the face of the Strip and make it 'hotter and sexier'. Robin Leach. 19 November 2008. Las Vegas Weekly. 23 January 2016.
  4. Web site: Special Feature: Meet Penthouse mogul Marc Bell, the man who plans to change the face of the Strip and make it 'hotter and sexier'. Robin Leach. Las Vegas Sun. 23 January 2016.
  5. Web site: Detail by Entity Name . 2023-05-08 . search.sunbiz.org.
  6. Web site: FriendFinder's CEO Wants Playboy. Brett Pulley. July 22, 2010. Bloomberg Business. February 24, 2015.
  7. Staff, New York Times. January 22, 1996Equity and Convertible Offerings for This Week
  8. Web site: 2001-09-13 . Globix New York City data centers fully operational . 2024-03-24 . Lightwave.
  9. Staff, The Wall Street Transcript. September 2, 2002 CEO Interview: Peter Stevenson
  10. News: Jones . Dow . 2000-01-11 . Globix Splits Stock Again . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-04-06 . 0362-4331.
  11. Staff, New York Times. January 15, 2002 Technology Briefing | Internet: Globix Plans To Seek Protection
  12. Web site: EDGAR Filing Documents for 0001021408-01-507648 . 2024-03-24 . www.sec.gov.
  13. Web site: Bio - Marc.com. Marc.com. 8 January 2017.
  14. Web site: Know Your NYU Trustees: Marc Bell, Whose Company Owns AdultFriendFinder . February 23, 2012 . NYULocal . https://web.archive.org/web/20120412213511/http://nyulocal.com/on-campus/2012/02/23/know-your-trustees-marc-bell/ . April 12, 2012 . dead .
  15. Bosworth. Patricia. The X-Rated Emperor. Vanity Fair. February 2005.
  16. News: Penthouse publisher FriendFinder files for bankruptcy protection - Los Angeles Times . . 2013-09-17 . 2014-06-10 . Stuart . Pfeifer.
  17. News: Leach. Robin. Special Feature: Meet Penthouse mogul Marc Bell, the man who plans to change the face of the Strip and make it 'hotter and sexier'. Las Vegas Weekly. November 19, 2008.
  18. Web site: Marc Bell – Broadway Cast & Staff IBDB . 2023-04-06 . www.ibdb.com.
  19. News: Money, money, money . 2024-03-19 . The Economist . 0013-0613.
  20. Web site: JERSEY BOYS Broadway Grosses . 2024-03-19 . www.broadwayworld.com.
  21. https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/stereophonic-538690#Awards
  22. Web site: Penthouse owner offers $210 million for Playboy. July 15, 2010. Jennifer Saba. Reuters. June 14, 2017.
  23. News: Penthouse magazine owner files for bankruptcy. LA Times. September 18, 2013. Stuart. Pfeifer. September 17, 2013.
  24. Web site: About Us . 2024-03-24 . Boca Raton Police Foundation . en-US.
  25. Web site: 2024-03-15 . Marc Bell Retires as Chairman, Named Chairman Emeritus . 2024-03-24 . Boca Raton Police Foundation . en-US.
  26. Web site: Former Penthouse Exec Marc Bell's Star Trek Mansion Hits The Market For $35 Million. Erin Carlyle. May 14, 2014. forbes. February 11, 2015.
  27. Web site: Inc . Zillow . 3682 NW 52nd St, Boca Raton, FL 33496 . 2023-05-08 . Zillow . en.
  28. Web site: Nerd-vana: Florida mansion features 'Star Trek' bridge . 2024-03-19 . CNBC . en.
  29. Web site: Bacon . John . Real-life Daddy Warbucks? Millionaire hosts 70 foster kids in mansion after Irma . 2023-04-06 . USA TODAY . en-US.
  30. Web site: Florida Couple Who Opened Their Mansion to 70 Foster Kids During Irma Continues to Help . 2023-04-06 . Peoplemag . en.
  31. Web site: Inline XBRL Viewer . 2023-04-06 . www.sec.gov.
  32. Web site: People – Terran Orbital . 2022-04-01 . en-US.
  33. Web site: Alamalhodaei . Aria . 2022-11-01 . Lockheed Martin increases its bet on satellite manufacturer Terran Orbital with $100 million investment . 2023-04-06 . TechCrunch . en-US.
  34. Web site: Costelloe . Kevin . 2023-03-08 . Smithsonian Adds Terran Satellite . 2023-04-06 . Orange County Business Journal . en-US.
  35. Web site: Albon . Courtney . 2024-08-15 . Lockheed acquires satellite firm Terran Orbital in $450 million deal . 2024-08-19 . Defense News . en.
  36. Web site: MSN . 2024-08-20 . www.msn.com.