Lloyd Braun

Early life and career

Born to a Jewish family, Braun earned his B.A. from Vassar College in 1980, and his law degree from the University of California's Hastings College of the Law in 1983. He served on the Vassar Board of Trustees, his seat having expired in 2010.

Prior to becoming a television executive, Braun practiced entertainment law for 10 years, representing several high-profile clients such as Larry David, Howard Stern and David Chase. The character Lloyd Braun on the sitcom Seinfeld was named after him, since the media executive served as the lawyer of Larry David. In an interview between Larry David and Howard Stern, David reveals that a conversation he had with Braun about Braun's father served as a 'jumping-off point' for the writing of his Broadway play 'Fish In The Dark'.

American Broadcasting Company

Braun's first major success came with producer David Chase for their idea for the show The Sopranos. He went on to serve as the Chairman of the ABC Entertainment Group from 2002 to 2004. Braun was forced out of his position at ABC shortly after greenlighting the $13 million pilot to the television show Lost, one of the most expensive in modern broadcasting. His decision was vindicated, however, when the show went on to become a huge success. Braun and his partner, Susan Lyne, also greenlit other ABC shows that went on to great success in the years following his dismissal, including Desperate Housewives, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Boston Legal and Grey's Anatomy. These shows began an unprecedented turnaround for ABC.

Yahoo! Media Group and Whalerock Industries

In November 2004, Braun joined Yahoo! to run Yahoo! Media Group, the company's content division. While at Yahoo!, Braun initiated and oversaw the development of the highly successful celebrity site OMG! Braun also developed the daily video show "The 9" and oversaw major redesigns of Yahoo!'s media sites. Braun resigned from Yahoo! in December 2006 to partner with Gail Berman to form the entertainment company BermanBraun.

BermanBraun entered into a strategic alliance with NBC to create television programming for which NBC would have a first look. In August 2010, BermanBraun announced a multiyear partnership with Starcom MediaVest to create new digital content and advertising solutions available "first" to SMG clients. SMG is part of Publicis Groupe, the world's third-largest communications group. Since 2007, BermanBraun has established itself in content production, with properties across three platforms: television, digital and film. In scripted television, BermanBraun is currently producing Alphas on the Syfy network. Also in production is the second season of the unscripted series Brad Meltzer's Decoded for History Channel and Unchained Reaction, to be produced with MythBusters stars Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage for Discovery Channel. BermanBraun is also launching two unscripted shows: Polyamory for Showtime and Junk Gypsies for HGTV later in 2012.

In March 2012, BermanBraun purchased Whiskey Media, acquiring the websites Tested, Screened, and Anime Vice. Tested was quickly redesigned and rebranded as MythBusters' Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage's personal website.

In February 2014, Braun became the sole owner of BermanBraun, renaming the company Whalerock Industries.