Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner Earned a Net Worth in the Millions
Toy company Hasbro is mourning the loss of longtime chairman and CEO Brian Goldner. What was his net worth?
Oct. 13 2021, Published 11:54 a.m. ET
Toy company Hasbro is mourning the loss of longtime chairman and CEO Brian Goldner. The CEO, aged 58, died on Oct. 12. As the leader of the toymaker since 2008, Goldner has earned a net worth of over $200 million.
Brian Goldner
Hasbro CEO and Chairman
Net worth: Over $200 million
Brian Goldner was the CEO of toy company Hasbro since 2008. He stepped down from the role on Oct. 10 for medical reasons and died two days later. He is credited with pioneering Hasbro's foray into film and television.
Date of birth: April 21, 1963
Date of death: Oct. 12, 2021
Wife: Barbara Goldner
Education: Dartmouth College
Goldner was the “heart and soul of Hasbro,” said Rich Stoddart, the interim CEO at the company.
Brian Goldner left his mark on Hasbro.
“As a charismatic and passionate leader in both the play and entertainment industries, Brian’s work brought joy and laughter to children and families around the world. His visionary leadership, kindness, and generosity made him beloved by the Hasbro community and everyone he touched,” Stoddart said in a company statement about Goldner’s passing.
Goldner expanded Hasbro brands into film and television.
Hasbro officials say that Goldner was “quickly recognized as a visionary in the industry” after he joined the company in 2000. Goldner is credited with expanding Hasbro beyond toys and games and into television, movies, and digital gaming. In 2007, he was the executive producer on the company’s first foray into movies with the film adaptation of Transformers.
“It’s a core-brand strategy. We asked which brands have the potential to be reinvented and reignited,” Goldner told The New York Times in 2012 about the company’s moves to expand its brands. “Our four movies made $3 billion at the box office. But we made $1.6 billion in sales of merchandise because we own the I.P. and all the merchandising rights.”
Goldner was appointed CEO in 2008 and chairman in 2015. His pioneering strategy helped Hasbro acquire independent entertainment studio eOne in 2019.
Edward Phillip, head of Hasbro’s Board of Directors, said that Goldner’s “inspiring leadership and exuberance left an indelible mark” on the company and that his “passion and creativity took Hasbro to new heights.”
Brian Goldner went on medical leave two days before his death.
On Oct. 10, just two days before his death, Hasbro announced that Goldner was taking a medical leave from his role as CEO. In August 2020, Goldner disclosed that he was undergoing continued medical care after treatment for cancer in 2014.
“Hasbro’s future couldn’t be brighter as we continue to Supercharge the Blueprint and build the world’s leading play and entertainment company,” Goldner said in an Oct. 10 statement.
Who will replace Goldner as Hasbro CEO?
When Hasbro announced that Goldner was taking a medical leave, the company said that Stoddart would take over as interim CEO. Stoddart has been on the Hasbro Board of Directors since 2014. From 2017 to 2020, he was the president and CEO of the global marketing firm InnerWorkings, Inc. Before that, he was at advertising agency Leo Burnett.
“I feel confident knowing the Company will be in the skilled hands of Rich Stoddart as Interim CEO,” Goldner said in the Oct. 10 statement.
Who is Brian Goldner’s wife?
Goldner is survived by his wife, Barbara, and a daughter. The couple’s son, Brandon, died of a heroin overdose in 2015 when he was just 23 years old. The couple publicly discussed Brandon’s death in 2016 at a meeting of then-Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo’s Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force.