Todd Wagner
Co-founder of Broadcast.com and founder of Charity Network, a digital fundraising platform.
Todd R. Wagner (born August 2, 1960) is an American entrepreneur, co-founder of Broadcast.com and founder and CEO of Charity Network. He also co-owns 2929 Entertainment with Mark Cuban, along with other entertainment companies. Wagner co-founded AudioNet in 1995 with Mark Cuban, which became Broadcast.com and went public in 1998, setting an opening-day record with shares climbing 249%. In 1999, Wagner and Cuban sold Broadcast.com to Yahoo! for $5.7 billion, making them instant billionaires. Wagner continued to lead the division as Yahoo! Broadcast until May 2000, when he declined an offer to become Yahoo!'s Chief Operating Officer.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 2 August 1960
- Birthplace
- Gary, Indiana, U.S.
- Education
- Kelley School of Business; University of Virginia
- Occupation
- CEO of Charity Network; Co-owner of 2929 Entertainment
Lore & Background
Wagner was born in Gary, Indiana, and attended Merrillville High School before studying at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University Bloomington, where he joined Kappa Sigma fraternity Beta Theta chapter. He graduated from Indiana University in 1983, then earned a Juris Doctor from University of Virginia. After moving to Dallas, Texas, he became a licensed CPA and began a legal career with Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld and Hopkins & Sutter. In 1995, he launched AudioNet with Mark Cuban, a platform for broadcasting live sporting events and radio stations over the internet. As CEO, Wagner grew the company and expanded its services to include corporate events and business services. In 1998, they changed the name to Broadcast.com and took the company public. The IPO set an opening-day record, with shares climbing 249% from an offering price of $18 to a closing price of $62.75. In 1999, they sold Broadcast.com to Yahoo! for $5.7 billion, making 300 employees millionaires (briefly, on paper) and Wagner and Cuban instant billionaires.
Reader's Guide
In 2014, Wagner launched Chideo, a digital platform designed to raise funds and awareness for causes by connecting fans to celebrities through exclusive video content. Over the next two years, Wagner expanded the concept through the acquisition of online sweepstakes platform Prizeo in June 2015, and online charity auction site Charitybuzz in October 2015. In 2016, Wagner announced the formation of Charity Network, parent company to Charitybuzz, Prizeo and Chideo, with a mission to help charities transition from analog to digital. The company uses celebrities, technology and the media to raise awareness for its customers. In February 2017, Charity Network was named one of Fast Company's 2017 Most Innovative Companies by a website called Fast Company.
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