Russell Weiner

Last updated
Russell Weiner
Russell Weiner (cropped).jpg
Born (1970-02-15) February 15, 1970 (age 54)
United States
Education Redwood High School
Alma mater San Diego State University
Occupation(s)Founder, Rockstar energy drink
Father Michael Savage

Russell Goldencloud Weiner (born February 15, 1970) [1] [2] is an American businessman and works in political fundraising.

Contents

Early life and education

Weiner is the son of Michael Weiner, better known as conservative radio talk show host Michael Savage, and Janet Weiner. He is Jewish. [3] [4]

Weiner graduated from Redwood High School in Larkspur, California and graduated from San Diego State University with a bachelor's degree in political science. [5] He organized events for the Paul Revere Society and worked as a travel consultant. [6]

Career

He is the creator of the Rockstar energy drink. Weiner is also the founder and CEO of his own company, which is now based in Purchase, New York.

In 2016, he was 494th on the Forbes list of the 500 richest Americans with an estimated worth of $3.4 billion dollars.

Politics

He co-founded the Paul Revere Society with his father. In 1998, he ran as a Republican for the 6th district seat in the California State Assembly, receiving an endorsement from the president of the NAACP branch in Oakland, California. [5] In June 1998, Weiner won the Republican primary election by five votes. [7] His campaign positions included advocacy for Proposition 227, the ballot initiative eliminating bilingual education in public schools, and protection of old-growth forests. He lost to incumbent Democrat Kerry Mazzoni receiving 13.3% of the vote. [8] After the election, some election posters depicting him were vandalized in an anti-Semitic manner. [3]

In 2009, Weiner donated $25,000 to the California gubernatorial campaign of Gavin Newsom, who was the Democratic mayor of San Francisco. [9] Newsom returned the donation and Weiner gave it to charity. [10]

Personal life

Weiner has been in the real estate industry; he buys and sells houses. In 2006, he bought the West Hollywood home of basketball player Carlos Boozer for $10 million. [11] In 2008, he listed another home there for about $3 million (originally it was nearly $15 million based on replacement costs) and sold it for $8 million in 2009. [12]

Weiner lives in Miami Beach, Florida. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gavin Newsom</span> Governor of California since 2019

Gavin Christopher Newsom is an American politician and businessman serving since 2019 as the 40th governor of California. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th lieutenant governor of California from 2011 to 2019 and the 42nd mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willie Brown (politician)</span> American politician (born 1934)

Willie Lewis Brown Jr. is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as mayor of San Francisco from 1996 to 2004, the first African American to hold that office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiona Ma</span> American politician (born 1966)

Fiona Ma is an American politician and accountant. She has been serving as the California state treasurer since January 7, 2019. She previously was a member of the California Board of Equalization (2015–2019), the California State Assembly (2006–2012), and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (2002–2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockstar (drink)</span> Energy drink trademark

Rockstar is an energy drink created in 2001, which, as of 2020, had a 10% market share of the global energy drink market, the third-highest after Red Bull and Monster Energy. Rockstar is based in Purchase, New York. As of January 2013, Rockstar Energy Drink was available in more than 20 flavors and in more than 30 countries. Since March 2020 Rockstar is a part of PepsiCo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackie Speier</span> American politician (born 1950)

Karen Lorraine Jacqueline Speier is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for California's 14th congressional district, serving in Congress from 2008 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Speier represented much of the territory that her political mentor, Leo Ryan, represented.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayor of San Francisco</span> Chief executive of San Francisco, California, US

The mayor of the City and County of San Francisco is the head of the executive branch of the San Francisco city and county government. The officeholder has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the legislative branch. The mayor serves a four-year term and is limited to two successive terms. Because of San Francisco's status as a consolidated city-county, the mayor also serves as the head of government of the county; both entities have been governed together by a combined set of governing bodies since 1856.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Market Street (San Francisco)</span> Thoroughfare in San Francisco, United States

Market Street is a major thoroughfare in San Francisco, California. It begins at The Embarcadero in front of the Ferry Building at the northeastern edge of the city and runs southwest through downtown, passing the Civic Center and the Castro District, to the intersection with Portola Drive in the Twin Peaks neighborhood. Beyond this point, the roadway continues into the southwestern quadrant of San Francisco. Portola Drive extends south to the intersection of St. Francis Boulevard and Sloat Boulevard, where it continues as Junipero Serra Boulevard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 California Proposition 8</span> Successful referendum on banning same-sex marriage

Proposition 8, known informally as Prop 8, was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage; it passed in the November 2008 California state elections and was later overturned in court. The proposition was created by opponents of same-sex marriage in advance of the California Supreme Court's May 2008 appeal ruling, In re Marriage Cases, which followed the short-lived 2004 same-sex weddings controversy and found the previous ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. Proposition 8 was ultimately ruled unconstitutional by a federal court in 2010, although the court decision did not go into effect until June 26, 2013, following the conclusion of proponents' appeals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Ting</span> American politician

Philip Yu-Li Ting is an American politician currently serving in the California State Assembly. He is a Democrat representing the 19th Assembly District, which encompasses western San Francisco and northwestern San Mateo County. Prior to being elected to the Assembly in 2012, he was the Assessor-Recorder of San Francisco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 San Francisco mayoral election</span>

The 2011 San Francisco mayoral election was held on Tuesday, November 8, 2011, to elect the mayor of San Francisco. The incumbent Ed Lee, appointed to fill the vacant mayoral seat, succeeded in his bid to become the first elected Asian-American mayor of a major American city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Wiener</span> American politician (born 1970)

Scott Wiener is an American politician who has served in the California State Senate since 2016. A Democrat, he represents the 11th district, encompassing San Francisco and parts of San Mateo County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Lee</span> 43rd Mayor of San Francisco

Edwin Mah Lee was an American politician and attorney who served as the 43rd Mayor of San Francisco from 2011 until his death in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Dahle</span> American politician (born 1965)

Brian Dwain Dahle is an American politician and farmer who has served as a member of the California State Senate from the 1st district since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Dahle served as a member of the California State Assembly from the 1st district from 2012 to 2019, and as Assembly minority leader from 2017 to 2018. Before his election to the state legislature, Dahle served on the Lassen County Board of Supervisors from 1997 to 2012.

Edmund Jew is an American former politician and businessman, who was convicted of extortion, bribery, and perjury in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Chiu (politician)</span> American politician

David Sen-Fu Chiu is an American politician currently serving as the City Attorney of San Francisco. Previously, he served in the California State Assembly as a Democrat representing the 17th Assembly District, which encompasses the eastern half of San Francisco. Chiu was Chair of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee, a position he held from 2016 to 2021, and the former chair of the California Asian & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 United States Senate elections in California</span> Elections for Californias class 1 Senate seat

The 2024 United States Senate elections in California will be held on November 5, 2024, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of California. There will be two ballot items for the same Class 1 seat: a special election to fill the seat for the final weeks of the 118th United States Congress, and a general election for a full term that starts on January 3, 2025, starting in the 119th United States Congress. California uses a nonpartisan blanket primary, in which all candidates regardless of party affiliation appear on the same primary ballot and the two highest-placing candidates advance to the general election; however, special election winners can win outright if they win more than 50% of the vote in the first round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 California gubernatorial recall election</span>

The 2021 California gubernatorial recall election was a special recall election that began in August 2021 and concluded on September 14, 2021, when California voters chose not to recall incumbent Democratic governor Gavin Newsom, elected for the term January 2019 to January 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 San Francisco District Attorney recall election</span>

The 2022 San Francisco District Attorney recall election was a successful special recall election to remove San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin from office. It was held on June 7, 2022, concurrent with the 2022 statewide primary elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 San Francisco Board of Education recall elections</span>

The 2022 San Francisco Board of Education recall elections were held on February 15, 2022. In a landslide election, over two-thirds of voters chose to remove three San Francisco Board of Education Commissioners—Alison Collins, Board President Gabriela Lopez, and Faauuga Moliga—from office. All three commissioners were replaced by appointees chosen by Mayor London Breed. The other four members of the school board were not eligible for recall at this time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 California Proposition 30</span>

Proposition 30 is a California ballot proposition that appeared in the general election on November 8, 2022. The measure was defeated. The initiative would have raised taxes on the wealthy to fund wildfire management and electric vehicle incentives and infrastructure.

References

  1. Burros, Marian (January 4, 2006). "In Oregon, Thinking Local". The New York Times. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  2. de la Viña, Mark (July 20, 2003). "The man behind the 'Savage Nation'". San Jose Mercury News. Archived from the original on July 25, 2003.
  3. 1 2 Faingold, Noma (November 13, 1998). "Flurry of North Bay anti-Semitic graffiti concerns ADL". JWeekly.com. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  4. Jewish Telegraph Agency: "Forbes’ billionaires list features new and old Jewish faces" By Gabe Friedman March 2, 2015
  5. 1 2 "Russ Weiner". SmartVoter.org. League of Women Voters. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  6. "Other North Bay races". San Francisco Chronicle. May 24, 1998. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  7. "GOP Assembly Nomination Won by 5 Votes". San Francisco Chronicle. June 19, 1998. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  8. "Member of the State Assembly; District 6". League of Women Voters. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  9. West, Jackson (May 21, 2009). "Michael Savage's Son Donates to Newsom". NBC Bay Area. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  10. Marinucci, Carla (May 22, 2009). "Newsom to return $25,000 contribution from Savage's son". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  11. Ryon, Ruth (November 26, 2006). "She's not wedded to the beach". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  12. Brenoff, Ann (January 24, 2009). "For Beck, Malibu's no longer where it's at". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  13. "Russ Weiner". Forbes. Retrieved 11 November 2017.