As sure as deals will close, stocks will trade and private jets will be refueled, the powerful clique that runs Hollywood and big media retreat from their usual haunts and take refuge on their boats during the dog days of summer.
TheWrap has pinpointed your favorites including Oprah, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Beyonce and Jay-Z, Sony Pictures Chairman Michael Lynton, Disney CEO Bob Iger, music honcho Irving Azoff and more in “Moguls on a Boat 2015.”
From the manicured foothills of Santa Barbara to hard partying nightlife of Ibiza, here’s how power players spent their summer vacation.
WHO: Oprah Winfrey, Bob Iger, Jimmy Iovine and Ron Meyer
WHERE: Ibiza, on David Geffen’s yacht, Rising Sun
STATUS: Winfrey, with a net worth of $3 billion according to the latest Forbes figures, is kicking back on David Geffen’s 450-foot yacht in Ibiza with bestie Gayle King and Disney CEO Bob Iger (yeah, we know it sounded weird, but it’s true.) The power group received Britain’s Princess Beatrice for a 27th birthday celebration, according to People magazine, and even hit hot spots on Ibiza’s notorious nightlife circuit. Oprah seems to have missed Geffen’s pal crossed paths Meyer, NBCU’s vice-chairman, who also visited the floating palace this summer.
WHO: George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin
WHERE: Lake Como, Italy
STATUS: George Clooney and his power-lawyer bride Amal have plenty to celebrate this year. Sure, Clooney’s “Tomorrowland” was a bummer at the box office and with critics — but he still has that gorgeous Lake Como estate, despite rumors he would sell. He’s been on holiday since July 4, tearing up the town at exclusive haunts like Ville D’Este hotel.
WHO: Arianna Huffington
WHERE: Mykonos, Greek Isles
STATUS: Following the acquisition of her Huffington Post and AOL by Verizon, the media maven renewed her contract though 2019. And despite a colorful report in the New York Times detailing her army of assistants and tendencies toward paranoia, Huffington seemed less than pressed on her vacation, touring old chapels on the island of Tinos and living it up in her native country.
WHO: Irving Azoff and Ron Perelman
WHERE: Off the coast of Mallorca, Spain, on Revlon billionaire Perelman’s yacht
STATUS: Longtime music talent manager Azoff kicked off 2015 by christening the reopened Ingleweood Forum with his clients The Eagles, who played a six-night run to the tune of nearly $10 million. Manager to the likes of Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera, Azoff continues to expand in the comedy space with funny lady Chelsea Handler. His budding song publishing endeavor Global Music Rights counts nearly 20,000 tracks, according to Billboard.
WHO: Ryan Seacrest, with “Avengers” star Chris Hemsworth and Hemsworth’s wife, Elsa Pataky
WHERE: Portofino, off the Italian coast, on a rented yacht
STATUS: Though “American Idol” will end next year, Seacrest continues his empire-building, having just signed a new three-year-deal with iHeartRadio that likely improved on his previous contract’s $25 million annual salary. And even though Seacrest took Portofino by storm with Thor, he’s not an infallible superhero. “Knock Knock Live,” an event show Seacrest produced for NBC, was yanked after only two airings.
WHO: Beyonce and Jay-Z
WHERE: Florence, Italy
STATUS: After a packed 2014 with a joint tour and HBO special, music’s First Couple has had a rocky year with the launch of Mr. Carter’s lackluster Tidal music streaming service. No wonder they headed for Florence with baby Blue Ivy. Shopping? Why not. Beyonce has made $54.5 million in 2015 thus far, according to Forbes, while her husband eked out $56 million. Beyonce is expected to release new music in the coming months, while Jay-Z will continue to court favor for the struggling Tidal.
WHO: Ryan Kavanaugh
WHO: Simon Cowell
WHERE: Cruising the Mediterranean on his yacht, Slipslider
STATUS: Cowell has had a few victories this year, among them selling a TV concept that will assemble a Latina boy band, “La Banda,” with Ricky Martin, as well as mitigating the split of heartthrobs One Direction (successfully freeing ex-member Zayn Malik to record as a solo artist despite some label drama). Cowell will be zipping around the Mediterranean on his jet ski, attached to his $73 million boat. Not only will Cowell’s flagship hit “American Idol” wrap up in 2016, he’s prepping another competition show for Fox, TheWrap reported in May.
WHO: Magic Johnson with Samuel L. Jackson
WHERE: Capri, Monaco, Monte Carlo with Samuel L. Jackson
STATUS: Gliding along the French and Italian coasts every summer is routine for Johnson, along with his family — which now counts a reality TV star in son EJ Johnson, the breakout star of E!’s “Rich Kids of Beverly Hills.” Actor Samuel L. Jackson typically joins the Johnson clan on their $500,000-per-week yacht, the Amadeus. Johnson has met up with power pals including New York Giants executive John Tisch and Prince Albert of Monaco. On the business front, Johnson’s sports and entertainment corporation Magic Johnson Enterprises bought a 60 percent stake in EquiTrust LifeInsurance Company, which manages a reported $14.5 billion.
WHO: Michael Lynton
WHERE: Martha’s Vineyard
STATUS: Sony Entertainment CEO and Motion Pictures Chairman Lynton is arguably more deserving of a vacation than any mogul on this list. First came last November’s devastating computer hack, then the ouster of his movie counterpart Amy Pascal this year. The promise of new studio boss Tom Rothman and the forthcoming “Spider-Man” reboot might have Lynton hoisting an extra one at Black Dog Tavern.
WHO: Tim Cook
WHERE: Santa Barbara, San Ysidro Ranch
STATUS: While Apple reported $49.6 billion in revenue and $10.7 billion in net profit for its third-quarter 2015 earnings, Apple CEO Tim Cook turned to the humble San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, where he was spotted taking in the manicured hiking trail. The getaway was the site of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s 2003 wedding. On the business side, Cook just made headlines for investing in Nebia, a startup that creates water-efficient shower heads by atomizing water into millions of droplets to create 70 percent less water consumption than a regular shower.
WHO: Sean Diddy Combs
WHERE: Anguilla
STATUS: The white sands and the turquoise beaches attracted Sean Diddy Combs to Anguilla, an island in the east Caribbean. However, this has been a destination for the businessman and rapper for years — 10 years ago, Denzel Washington celebrated his 50th birthday at Trattoria Tramonto in Anguilla, with close friends Robert De Niro and Combs present. It is one of the most exclusive islands in the Caribbean. With Combs’ $84.8 million yearly salary and an estimated net worth of $735 million in 2015, it’s a perfect coveted hideaway for the mogul. And after his much publicized arrest at a UCLA gym in June, he probably welcomes the retreat.
Beatrice Verhoeven contributed to this report.
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TheWrap staff picks OMI-“Cheerleader” as this year’s summer 2015 “Moguls: soundtrack:
See past editions of TheWrap’s summer series: