Todd Wagner

Todd Wagner
Todd Wagner
Born	August 2, 1960 (age 66); Gary, Indiana, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Business leader, entrepreneur, philanthropist
Known for	Co-founder of Broadcast.com; founder and CEO of Charity Network; co-owner of 2929 Entertainment

Todd R. Wagner (born August 2, 1960) is an American business leader, recognized as a co-founder of Broadcast.com and the founder and CEO of Charity Network, an organization that regularly hosts fundraising events. He is also a co-owner of 2929 Entertainment alongside Mark Cuban and is involved in various other entertainment enterprises.

Early life

Wagner was born in Gary, Indiana, completed his secondary education at Merrillville High School, and graduated from Indiana University Bloomington in 1983, where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. He later obtained a J.D. degree from University of Virginia, relocated to Dallas, Texas, became a certified CPA, and began practicing law with prominent firms such as Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld and Hopkins & Sutter.

Broadcast.com

In 1995, Wagner partnered with Mark Cuban to create AudioNet, a pioneering platform for streaming live sports events and radio broadcasts over the internet. As CEO, he broadened the company’s scope to include streaming for corporate events and business-oriented applications.

The company rebranded as Broadcast.com in 1998 and launched its initial public offering amid the dot-com boom. The IPO set a record for first-day gains, with stock prices surging 249% from $18 to $62.75 per share.

In 1999, Wagner and Cuban sold Broadcast.com to Yahoo! for $5.7 billion, instantly generating billionaire status for both founders and turning approximately 300 employees into paper millionaires. Wagner managed Yahoo! Broadcast until May 2000 but opted not to accept the position of Yahoo!'s COO in order to focus on other business ventures.

2929 Entertainment

Following the success of Broadcast.com, Wagner co-established the Wagner/Cuban Companies, which includes 2929 Productions. This production company was behind several Oscar-nominated films such as Good Night, and Good Luck and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, as well as notable films like Akeelah and the Bee and The Road. The film Good Night, directed by George Clooney who also starred in it, received six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture.

2929 Entertainment operates a vertically integrated portfolio of entertainment assets comprising the high-definition production firm HDNet Films, the distribution company Magnolia Pictures, its home video branch Magnolia Home Entertainment, the former art-house theater chain Landmark Theatres (which was sold in 2018), along with HD cable channels HDNet and HDNet Movies (currently known as AXS TV).

Other business ventures

Wagner owns part of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team and is an active investor in emerging startups. Together with Mark Cuban, he was an initial investor in Content Partners LLC, a company specializing in back-end profit participation deals for Hollywood talent; as of 2019, Wagner remained an equity partner.

He also holds a position on the Board of Trustees at the American Film Institute.

In June 2015, Wagner purchased Prizeo, a platform dedicated to celebrity-driven charitable fundraising. His most recent project is FoodFight USA, a nationwide initiative focused on food safety issues. His advocacy notably played a role in the enactment of the California Food Safety Act in October 2023.

Charity Network

In 2014, Wagner introduced Chideo, a digital platform designed to link fans with celebrities to support charitable causes through fundraising and awareness. He further developed this concept by acquiring the online sweepstakes platform Prizeo in 2015, followed by the charity auction website Charitybuzz later that same year.

By 2016, Wagner established Charity Network as the parent organization overseeing Charitybuzz, Prizeo, and Chideo. The goal was to revolutionize charitable fundraising by leveraging celebrity partnerships combined with innovative technology.

In February 2017, Charity Network received recognition from Fast Company, being named among its Most Innovative Companies.

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