Ovitz, Michael (1947– )

US media entrepreneur who, as founder of the Creative Artists Agency in 1975 and its chair until 1995, was one of the most powerful people in Hollywood during that period. In 1995 he became president of the Disney entertainment conglomerate but left in 1997 after apparent disputes with the board of directors, effectively ending his career.

Ovitz was born in Chicago and studied at the University of California in Los Angeles. He acted as intermediary between the Japanese and the American corporations in the purchase of Columbia Pictures by Sony 1989 and of MCA/Universal by Matsushita 1990, as well as helping to extricate Matsushita from the deal in 1994.