Kenny Dichter
Kenny Dichter is an American entrepreneur and the CEO of privately held aviation company, Wheels Up.[2] He also co-founded Alphabet City Sports Records, Marquis Jet, and Tequila Avión.
Kenny Dichter | |
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Citizenship | United States |
Alma mater | University of Wisconsin (B.A., 1990)[1] |
Occupation | Co-founder and CEO of Wheels Up, Entrepreneur |
Career
Alphabet City Sports Records
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin in 1990, Dichter founded Alphabet City Sports Records with friend Jesse Itzler/[3] The label focused on creating and selling songs that were frequently heard in sports stadiums and arenas.[4][5] The firm was eventually sold to SFX Entertainment in 1998 for $4.3 million in cash and stock.
Marquis Jets
Dichter founded Marquis Jets in 2001, the first fractional card jet program. By 2007, the firm was turning over more than $700 million per year from its 3,500 customers.[6] In November 2010, Dichter sold Marquis Jet to NetJets, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway.[7]
Tequila Avión
Tequila Avión, a brand of tequila, was founded by Dichter and Ken Austin.[8] The brand was named the 'Best Tequila in the World' and 'Best White Spirit in the World' at the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition [9]
Wheels Up
A few years after the sale of Marquis Jets, Dichter re-entered the private aviation industry by founding Wheels Up. Rather than a fractional card program, Wheels Up is a membership-based business that charges users per flight hour without spending requirements or time commitments.[10][11]
References
- "Awards - Kenny Dichter". University of Wisconsin. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
- "Experience Matters". wheelsup.com. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
- "Kenny Dichter '90". Wisconsin Alumni Association. 2008-03-01. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
- Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1997-05-17). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
- Rosenthal, Seth. "The Tale of 'Go NY Go'". The Sports Section. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
- "Marquis Jet founder Kenny Dichter resigns from NetJets". Aviation International News. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
- "Berkshire's NetJets buys Marquis Jet card company". Reuters. 2010-11-04. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
- Rahel Gebreyes Editor, HuffPost Live (2015-05-05). "This Marketing Strategy Was So Perfect, Customers Thought The Product Was Fake". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
- "Tequila Avion Wins World's Best White Spirit, World's Best Tequila, Double Gold and Two Silver Medals at the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
- "Membership". wheelsup.com. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
- "INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY". wheelsup.com. Retrieved 2016-06-15.