Jann Wenner Net Worth

Jann Wenner, an American publisher, entrepreneur, and producer, has a net worth of $600 million. He is best known as the co-founder and publisher of “Rolling Stone” magazine and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Wenner has supported influential writers like Hunter S. Thompson and discovered notable photographers such as Annie Leibovitz. He has also conducted high-profile interviews with figures like Bill Clinton, John Kerry, Al Gore, Barack Obama, and Bono of U2.

Jann Wenner Net Worth	$600 Million
Date of Birth	January 7, 1947
Place of Birth	New York City
Nationality	American
Profession	Publisher, Entrepreneur, Producer

Table of Contents

Early Life

Jann Simon Wenner was born on January 7, 1947, in New York City to a secular Jewish family. His parents, Edward and Sim, divorced in 1958, and Jann, along with his sisters Merlyn and Kate, was sent to boarding schools. He graduated from the Chadwick School in Los Angeles in 1963 and enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley. While at Berkeley, he produced the column “Something’s Happening” for the student newspaper, “The Daily Californian.” Wenner left college in 1966, influenced by his mentor, jazz critic Ralph J. Gleason, who helped him secure a job at “Ramparts” magazine.

Rolling Stone Magazine

In 1967, Wenner co-founded “Rolling Stone” magazine with Ralph J. Gleason in San Francisco. He borrowed $7,500 from family members to start the publication. “Rolling Stone” moved its headquarters to New York City in 1977 and, despite a dip in circulation in the late ’70s and early ’80s, achieved a circulation peak of 1.5 million copies every two weeks by 2006.

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The magazine’s 1,000th issue featured a 3-D holographic cover in May 2006. Wenner’s 2005 interview with U2’s Bono earned a National Magazine Award nomination.

Other Publications

Wenner founded “Outside” magazine in 1977 but sold it a year later. He briefly managed “Look” magazine and started “Family Life” magazine in 1993. In 1986, he purchased “Us Weekly” with The Walt Disney Company, later acquiring Disney’s share in 2006. In 2016, Wenner sold a 49% stake in “Rolling Stone” to BandLab Technologies. A year later, Penske Media Corporation purchased the remaining stake.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

In 1983, Wenner became a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. He has faced criticism for allegedly using his influence to exclude certain artists from the Hall of Fame. Despite controversies, he remained a prominent figure until he stepped down as chairman in 2020.

Media Productions

Wenner produced Boz Scaggs’ 1969 self-titled debut album and several Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony specials. His other production credits include the TV movies “Rolling Stone Magazine: The 10th Anniversary” (1977) and “Rolling Stone Presents Twenty Years of Rock & Roll” (1987), as well as the series “I’m from Rolling Stone” (2007). He earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for the 2009 TV special “The 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert.”

Personal Life

Jann married Jane E. Schindelheim on July 1, 1968, and they had three sons: Alexander, Theodore, and Edward (Gus). They separated in 1995, and their divorce was finalized in 2011. Jane continued to serve as Wenner Media’s vice president, and Gus is head of digital operations. In 1995, Wenner began a relationship with fashion designer Matt Nye, and they have three children, Noah, India, and Jude, via surrogates. Wenner has donated over $60,000 to liberal organizations and Democratic candidates between 2004 and 2006.

Jann Wenner Awards and Nominations

Jann Wenner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award in the non-performer category. In 2010, he won the Norman Mailer Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Magazine Publishing and earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for “The 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert.”

Real Estate

In 2009, Wenner and Nye purchased a 6,300 square-foot home in Montauk, New York, for $11.9 million. The waterfront property features eight bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms on 1.5 acres of land. Wenner also owns multiple properties, including a 9,030 square-foot Manhattan brownstone, a 6,540 square-foot Manhattan townhouse, and a ski condo and ranch in Sun Valley, Idaho.