Trump adviser accused of anti-Semitism made a mint off the series’ largely Jewish cast and creators
Joe Otterson | November 14, 2016 @ 2:15 PM
Last Updated: November 14, 2016 @ 6:13 PM
NBC
Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s new chief advisor, became one of the most prominent figures in American media by leading Breitbart, a conservative-leaning news site that critics call sexist, antisemitic, homophobic and racist. He’s less well-known for his unique role in the history of the TV series “Seinfeld.”
Long before he became the chief strategist of Donald Trump’s White House and the executive chairman of Breitbart News, Bannon was an investment banker. After a stint at Goldman Sachs, he launched his own firm, Bannon & Co., in 1990.
Fast forward a few years. Bannon was brought in to help Westinghouse Electric negotiate a minority stake acquisition in Castle Rock Entertainment — the producer of the iconic Jerry Seinfeld comedy — a person familiar with the deal told TheWrap.
“As often happened with Turner, when it came time to actually close the deal, Ted was short of cash,” Bannon told Bloomberg in 2015. “Westinghouse just wanted out. We told them, ‘You ought to take this deal. It’s a great deal.’ And they go, ‘If this is such a great deal, why don’t you defer some of your cash fee and keep an ownership stake in a package of TV rights?'”
And that is exactly what he did. Bannon and his team accepted a stake in the royalties of five shows under the Castle Rock banner, one of which was “Seinfeld,” which was in its third season at the time. Bannon’s involvement with Westinghouse was not disclosed to Castle Rock Parters at the time, who dealt directly with Turner in the 1992 sale.
“We calculated what it would get us if it made it to syndication,” Bannon said. “We were wrong by a factor of five.”
Exactly how much Bannon has earned from his stake in the show is not readily available, but consider this: the Financial Times reported in 2013 that “Seinfeld” had earned $3.1 billion in reruns. Even at one percent, that would mean Bannon & Co. would have made over $31 million since the show went off the air.
Bannon served as the CEO of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, and was recently named senior advisor and chief strategist to the Trump administration. He is a highly-regarded figure among the so-called alt-right for his views.
He has also been accused of anti-Semitism, racism and sexism because of a number of headlines published by Breitbart under his leadership. Bannon’s ex-wife has also accused him of making anti-Semitic comments during their marriage, which Bannon has strongly denied.
14 Stars Who Vowed to Leave America If Donald Trump Wins Election (Photos)
It's not uncommon for people to joke/threaten about leaving the U.S. if the "wrong" person becomes president. But Donald Trump has Hollywood in such a froth that loads of celebrities are now talking about pulling up stakes. Here's a small collection of them, ranging from silly jokes to serious plans.
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Lena Dunham has been one of the most active celebrity Clinton supporters out there, but she says she'll move to Canada if Trump wins: "I know a lovely place in Vancouver, and I can get my work done from there."
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While promoting "The Hateful Eight," Samuel L. Jacksontold Jimmy Kimmel that in the wake of a Trump victory he would "move my black ass to South Africa."
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Trump's Super Tuesday victory in the primaries left Miley Cyrus distraught. She hasn't said where she'll go, but promised on Instagram that "I am moving if this is my president! I don't say things I don't mean!"
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Cher has a history of feuding with Trump even before he announced his candidacy and has been often asked about what she thinks about his attempts to become President. Chertweeted that if he wins she will "move to Jupiter."
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If Cher does get a SpaceX flight to another planet, she might have Jon Stewart as her window-seat buddy, as he joked to People Magazine that he “would consider getting in a rocket and going to another planet, because clearly this planet’s gone bonkers.”
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Even before Trump officially got nominated, she promised on The View that she would leave for Canada if any Republican got elected: "I literally bought my ticket, I swear."
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Natasha Lyonne might not leave the country, but when asked by Starz where she might go, she said she might check herself into a mental hospital.
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George Lopez told TMZ that he would move south of the border if Trump won, and that other Latinos would come with him: "If he wins, he won't have to worry about immigration; we'll all go back."
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Al Sharpton said in February that he had "reserved his ticket" to leave if Trump won and that he would support anyone necessary to beat him.
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"House of Cards" star Neve Campbell is a natural-born Canadian citizen, so for her moving to another country is easy, and she's said she's ready to do it.
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Chelsea Handler told Kelly Ripa on "Live!" that her plans to move aren't just words. She has already bought a house in Spain and is ready to go if necessary.
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Barbra Streisand has been hitting the campaign trail hard for Hillary, but she too is ready to abandon ship if her campaign fails. She said she would decide between moving to Australia and Canada if Trump takes office.
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In the final days of the campaign, Bryan Cranston added his name to the exodus list: "I would definitely move. ... It's not real to me that that would happen. I hope to God it won't."
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But some threats to leave America are a bit more tongue-in-cheek. Take Spike Lee, who vowed to respond to a Trump victory by "moving back to the republic of Brooklyn."
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Bryan Cranston, Miley Cyrus and others may be headed overseas if they don’t get their way on Election Day
It's not uncommon for people to joke/threaten about leaving the U.S. if the "wrong" person becomes president. But Donald Trump has Hollywood in such a froth that loads of celebrities are now talking about pulling up stakes. Here's a small collection of them, ranging from silly jokes to serious plans.