Marc Bell (entrepreneur)

Bell graduated from Scarsdale High School in the Class of 1985. He later on earned his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Babson College and a Master of Science degree in real estate development and investment from New York University.[6]

Bell founded the web hosting company that eventually became Globix Corporation in 1989 at the age of 21[7] and served as its CEO and chairman of the board through the company's IPO in 1996[8] and into the dot-com bubble; as the company crashed along with the stock market in 2001, Bell was replaced as CEO.[9] Its market capitalization had fallen from almost $2.4 billion[10] in 1999 to $5.87 million in 2002 when it went through Chapter 11 bankruptcy.[11]

In 2001, he joined the Board of Trustees of New York University and Board of Overseers New York University School of Medicine.[6][12]

Through his company Marc Bell Capital, Bell is an investor and partner in restaurants and nightclubs in New York City in ventures such as Artichoke Pizza and Lavo.[6][7]

In 2004, Bell and a partner acquired Penthouse magazine for $52 million in a bankruptcy auction through a vehicle they called "Penthouse Media Group",[6][13][14] and in 2007 Penthouse Media Group acquired Various, which included networking site AdultFriendFinder.com for $500 million[6] and Bell and his partner renamed the company Friend Finder Networks.[14] In the 2008 Bell attempted to enter the Las Vegas casino market and was interviewed by Robin Leach about his intentions; he brought Penthouse models with him to the interview.[15]

Bell has produced musicals and plays such as Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages, The Wedding Singer, August: Osage County, and A Catered Affair.[7] His production Jersey Boys won a Tony Award for Best Musical in 2006 and August: Osage County won Best Play in 2008.[16]

In 2010 Bell, through Friend Finder Networks, tried to acquire Playboy Enterprises but was rebuffed after a $210 million bid.[6][17]

The Friend Finder Networks company and the Penthouse magazine that it owned filed for bankruptcy protection on September 17, 2013. FriendFinder’s current common stock was wiped out and was no longer traded on the open market. In August 2013, FriendFinder's stock was delisted from Nasdaq because it consistently failed to trade for more than $1.[18][14] That same year, Bell put his house in Boca Raton on the market for $35 million; it included a room modeled after the bridge of the Enterprise D from Star Trek: The Next Generation.[19] The listing was removed in May, 2019. [20]

On September 13, 2017 Bell took in 70 foster kids who were displaced during a Hurricane Irma from local shelters. [21][22][23]

He is a co-founder and the chief executive officer for Terran Orbital, a manufacturer of small satellites[24].[25] Terran Orbital received $100 million investment from Lockheed Martin[26] Terran added a satellite to the permanent display of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in March 2023[27]