Gerry Cardinale

Cardinale competed on Harvard’s heavyweight varsity rowing team and graduated magna cum laude with an honors bachelor’s degree. His rowing involvement continued at Oxford and later through the U.S. rowing community.⁠[1][2]

As a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, he pursued an M.Phil. in Politics and Political Theory and rowed for the Isis crew in the 1990 Oxford–Cambridge Boat Race.⁠[1][2]

Cardinale joined Goldman Sachs, initially working in Hong Kong and Singapore before moving to New York and participating in private equity investing.⁠[3]

At Goldman Sachs, he worked with the New York Yankees to help create the YES Network, linking team programming with regional sports television.⁠[3]

Paramount’s securities disclosure records Cardinale’s Goldman Sachs partnership from 2004 to 2012.⁠[4]

He left Goldman Sachs to pursue an independent investment business. In a later Financial Times interview, he recalled having to build relationships with capital providers after losing access to the bank’s balance sheet.⁠[5]

Cardinale founded RedBird Capital Partners and became its managing partner and chief investment officer.⁠[4]

His firm RedBird completed its €1.2 billion acquisition of AC Milan. In the announcement, Cardinale emphasized long-term stewardship, the fan experience and development of the club.⁠[6]

Cardinale’s RedBird joined Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in launching Artists Equity, supplying capital and operating support for a model offering broader creator profit participation.⁠[7]

USRowing announced Cardinale’s appointment as a trustee of the USRowing Foundation. The foundation raises funds for USRowing and the national team, with trustees using their personal and professional networks to support athletes and programs.⁠[1]

He joined Paramount’s board and was subsequently disclosed as chair of its compensation committee.⁠[4]

RedBird confirmed withdrawal of its £500 million Telegraph acquisition proposal, ending that proposed transaction.⁠[8]

TIMETIMETIME is an American newsmagazine and media brand founded by Henry Luce and Briton Hadden, which published its first issue on March 3, 1923; it is headquartered in New York and known for its Person of the Year selection and the TIME100 list. Since 2018 it has been personally owned by Marc and Lynne Benioff; its current Chief Executive Officer is Jessica Sibley, and its Editor-in-Chief is Sam Jacobs.Open the full entry named Cardinale to its inaugural TIME100 Sports list, identifying him among founders, executives, owners and investors. The list recognized influential figures across both athletic competition and the sports industry.⁠[9]

After Paramount completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, the combined company became Skydance. Cardinale participated in its governance as a director and RedBird’s founder, describing the partnership with David Ellison’s team in the completion announcement.⁠[10]

In his 2024 Financial Times interview, Cardinale said he relied on operating partners’ expertise rather than selecting players or deciding which films to produce. He emphasized collaboration, communication and operating autonomy while pursuing growth in business value.⁠[5]

His public biography lists a trusteeship at New York’s Mount Sinai Health System and support for Harvard, Phillips Academy Andover and the Rhodes Scholarships. He has also supported Water.org’s work to improve access to safe water and sanitation for people on low incomes.⁠[2]

Gerry Cardinale: Institutional biography: https://redbirdcap.com/team/gerry-cardinale/ (opens in a new window); LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerrycardinale/ (opens in a new window).⁠[3][11]

RedBird Capital Partners: Official website: https://redbirdcap.com/ (opens in a new window); YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: https://www.youtube.com/@redbirdcapital (opens in a new window).⁠[3][12][13]

USRowing Foundation: Official website: https://usrowing.org/usrowing-foundation/about-us/foundation-trustees (opens in a new window).⁠[1]