Who Is Vivi? Media World's Mystery Man

Influential investor keeps a low profile but wields much clout
By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 28, 2008 6:49 AM CDT
Who Is Vivi? Media World's Mystery Man
Zhang Ziyi and Vivi Nevo pose together at the Clive Davis pre-Grammy party in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008.    (AP Photo/ Matt Sayles)

He has major stakes in Time Warner and Goldman Sachs, he hangs out with Lenny Kravitz and the boss of Morgan Stanley, and he's engaged to the impossibly beautiful Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi. But Vivi Nevo is an unknown quantity: the mogul came from nowhere and, through a series of shrewd investments, has made himself into one of the most influential players in the media industry. The New York Times looks at the rise of the man his colleagues call "the international man of mystery."

Nevo has never given an interview, and his lack of a paper trail has only raised the intrigue about him. But the wealth and connections he has amassed over two decades of investing have made him an indispensible figure in the media world. "What the hell does Vivi do?" asked one decades-long associate. "He seems to be a powerful player in the entertainment industry. How, I don’t know." (More media stories.)

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