Arnon Milchan

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Arnon Milchan
Born (1944-12-06) December 6, 1944 (age 79)
Rehovot, British Mandate of Palestine
Nationality Israel
Occupation businessman
Known for Founder of Regency Enterprises
Net worth Increase US$5.6 billion (July 2015)[1]
Spouse(s) Brigitte Genmaire (divorced)
Amanda Coetzer
Children four[1]

Arnon Milchan (Hebrew: ארנון מילצ'ן‎; December 6, 1944) is an Israeli businessman who has produced over 130 full-length motion pictures.[2] Milchan, a multi-billionaire and owner of New Regency Films, was also a former key Israeli intelligence operative from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s.[3][4]

Arnon Milchan produced numerous critical and financial successes. After co-producing Pretty Woman, Milchan formed Regency Enterprises. Regency's film credits include Oscar winners and nominees, as well as popular financial hits, including 12 Years a Slave, L.A. Confidential, JFK, Heat, Fight Club, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and many more. He is considered one of the most prolific independent producers in Hollywood history. He is an Israeli citizen and a resident of Israel.

Early life

Milchan was born in Rehovot, Israel, in 1944. His family is Jewish.[5] His father owned a fertilizer company,[6] which Milchan inherited at the age of 21 upon his father's sudden death. Over the years, Milchan turned the company into a successful chemical business.[7] He also earned a degree from the London School of Economics, before he and his company (Milchan Brothers Ltd.) were recruited to LAKAM, a top secret Israeli intelligence organization responsible for obtaining technology and material for Israel's nuclear program, and other highly secretive programs.[8]

Film industry, and other businesses

Arnon Milchan became involved in the American movie business in 1977, after an introduction to American producer Elliot Kastner. Most notable among Milchan's film collaborations was his early work with Martin Scorsese. He developed close friendships with Robert De Niro, and directors Roman Polanski, Sergio Leone, Terry Gilliam and Oliver Stone. Milchan started his own production company in 1991 called New Regency Productions. Through his company Regency, in partnership with Warner Brothers, and later with Rupert Murdoch at 20th Century Fox, and other business ventures, such as Puma AG, Milchan acquired a net worth estimated at about $5.1 billion as of 2015.

Arnon Milchan has produced over 130 films and is recognized as one of the most prolific producers in Hollywood history, with films such as Noah, 12 Years a Slave, Once Upon a Time in America (1984) (in which he also makes a cameo appearance as the chauffeur), Brazil (1985), Pretty Woman (1990), Under Siege (1992), Natural Born Killers (1994), Boys on the Side (1995), L.A. Confidential (1997), Unfaithful (2002), and Knight and Day (2010), among others, to his credit.[2] He was a producer on the two most recent Oscar-winners for Best Motion Picture, 12 Years a Slave in 2014 and Birdman in 2015.

Milchan is also the owner of the WTA broadcasting rights. He was married to model Brigitte Genmaire.[6] He is now married to former South African tennis professional Amanda Coetzer. He is owner of the network which transmits Israeli television programming to the United States and Canada. He is also a part owner of Israel's TV Channel 10, and a former owner of Puma, the international sportswear line.

Intelligence operative

Speculation about Milchan's involvement in arms dealing and intelligence activities was sparked after the indictment in 1985 of Dr. Richard Kelly Smyth, an aerospace executive and scientist who had made illegal shipments of Krytrons (nuclear triggers) through one of Milchan's companies. This remained largely in the category of rumor until biographers Meir Doron and Joseph Gelman wrote a controversial unauthorized biography of Mr. Milchan that was published in July 2011. The biography Confidential, which is largely sympathetic to Mr. Milchan, revealed in detail how he involved himself in espionage, big-ticket arms-dealing, and obtaining sensitive technology and materials for Israel's nuclear weapons program. The research in Confidential - The Life Of Secret Agent Turned Hollywood Tycoon established that "at least through the mid-1980s [Milchan] was a full-fledged operative for Israel’s top-secret intelligence agency, Lakam. His activities included "buying components to build and maintain Israel’s nuclear arsenal" and supervising "government-backed accounts and front companies that financed the special needs of the entirety of Israel’s intelligence operations outside the country".[3] Interviewed regarding Milchan's intelligence activities, Israeli President Shimon Peres stated:

"Arnon is a special man. It was I who recruited him.... When I was at the Ministry of Defense, Arnon was involved in numerous defense-related procurement activities and intelligence operations. His strength is in making connections at the highest levels.... His activities gave us a huge advantage, strategically, diplomatically and technologically." (interview dated February 8, 2010, documented in Meir Doron and Joseph Gelman's "Confidential: Secret Agent turned Hollywood Tycoon Arnon Milchan" p. xi).

Two years later, on November 25, 2013, on Israel's channel 2 documentary program Uvda, Mr. Milchan confirmed on camera the central claims in the book Confidential that had been released earlier. The announcement caused international interest in the story and was covered widely.[9]

Milchan claimed to have used connections to promote the apartheid regime in South Africa in exchange for it helping Israel acquire uranium for its nuclear program.[10]

Filmography

Year Title Notes
1977 The Accuser co-producer
Black Joy producer
1978 The Medusa Touch executive producer
1979 Dizengoff 99 producer
1983 The King of Comedy producer
1984 Once Upon a Time in America producer
1985 Brazil producer
Legend producer
1986 Stripper executive producer
1987 Man on Fire producer
1989 Who's Harry Crumb? producer
Big Man on Campus producer
The War of the Roses producer
1990 Pretty Woman producer
Q&A producer
1991 Guilty by Suspicion producer
Switch executive producer
JFK executive producer
1992 The Mambo Kings producer
Memoirs of an Invisible Man executive producer
The Power of One producer
Under Siege producer
1993 Sommersby producer
Falling Down executive producer
Made in America producer
Free Willy executive producer
That Night producer
Striking Distance producer
The Nutcracker executive producer
Six Degrees of Separation producer
Heaven & Earth producer
1994 The Client producer
Natural Born Killers executive producer
The New Age executive producer
Second Best executive producer
Cobb executive producer
1995 Boys on the Side producer
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory producer
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home executive producer
Empire Records producer
Copycat producer
Heat executive producer
1996 A Time to Kill producer
Tin Cup executive producer
Carpool producer
Bogus producer
Sunchaser producer
The Mirror Has Two Faces producer
1997 Murder at 1600 producer
Free Willy 3: The Rescue executive producer
L.A. Confidential producer
Breaking Up executive producer
The Devil's Advocate producer
The Man Who Knew Too Little producer
1998 Dangerous Beauty producer
City of Angels executive producer
The Negotiator producer
1999 Simply Irresistible executive producer
Goodbye Lover executive producer
Entrapment executive producer
A Midsummer Night's Dream executive producer
Fight Club executive producer
2000 Up at the Villa executive producer
Big Momma's House executive producer
Tigerland producer
2001 Freddy Got Fingered executive producer
Don't Say a Word producer
Joy Ride executive producer
Black Knight producer
Joe Somebody executive producer
2002 High Crimes producer
Life or Something Like It producer
Unfaithful producer
2003 Daredevil producer
Down with Love executive producer
Runaway Jury producer
2004 The Girl Next Door executive producer
Man on Fire producer
First Daughter producer
2005 Elektra producer
Mr. & Mrs. Smith producer
Stay producer
Bee Season executive producer
2006 Big Momma's House 2 executive producer
Date Movie executive producer
The Sentinel producer
Just My Luck producer
My Super Ex-Girlfriend producer
The Fountain producer
Deck the Halls producer
2007 Epic Movie executive producer
Alvin and the Chipmunks executive producer
2008 Meet the Spartans executive producer
Jumper producer
Shutter executive producer
Street Kings executive producer
What Happens in Vegas executive producer
Meet Dave executive producer
Mirrors executive producer
Marley & Me executive producer
2009 Bride Wars executive producer
Aliens in the Attic executive producer
Fantastic Mr. Fox executive producer
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel executive producer
2010 Marmaduke executive producer
Knight and Day executive producer
Vampires Suck executive producer
Mirrors 2 executive producer
Love and Other Drugs executive producer
2011 Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son executive producer
Marley & Me: The Puppy Years executive producer
Monte Carlo producer
What's Your Number? executive producer
In Time executive producer
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked executive producer
The Darkest Hour executive producer
2013 Broken City producer
The Internship executive producer
12 Years a Slave producer
Runner Runner producer
2014 Noah producer
Joy Ride 3 executive producer
Gone Girl producer
Birdman producer
2015 True Story executive producer
Unfinished Business producer
The Big Short producer
The Revenant producer
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip executive producer
2016 Assassin's Creed producer

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Arnon Milchan". Forbes. Retrieved 25 July 2015
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  8. "Revealed: Arnon Milchan - the Hollywood producer behind hits Pretty Woman, Fight Club and LA Confidential who became a real-life James Bond" by Tim Walker, The Independent, November 22, 2013
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Further reading

Gelman, Joseph (author) (2011) Confidential The Life of Secret Agent Turned Hollywood Tycoon - Arnon Milchan Gefen Books, NY. ISBN 978-0-615-43381-3

External links