David Pecker Net Worth

This article is about David Pecker Net Worth and David Pecker Biography. David Pecker is a businessman who holds the positions of Chairman and CEO of American Media.

He’s also a publisher for various publications like National Enquirer, Star, Sun, Weekly World News, Globe, Men’s Fitness, Muscle and Fitness, and Fit Pregnancy, among others.

Table of Contents

David Pecker Biography

David Jay Pecker is a prominent American publishing executive and businessman. He served as the CEO of American Media until August 2020.

Throughout his time, he was a publisher for magazines like Men’s Fitness, Muscle and Fitness, Flex, Fit Pregnancy, Shape, Star, National Enquirer, Sun, Weekly World News, and Globe.

In 2018, Pecker faced controversy over the “catch and kill” operation involvement. The operation aimed to obtain exclusive story rights. The goal was to potentially damage Donald Trump’s reputation.

This happened during the 2016 presidential campaign. The intention was to keep such stories from becoming public.

David Pecker Early Life

David Pecker was born September 24, 1951, in the Bronx, New York, USA. He is an American national. David J. Pecker is Jewish. His father, a bricklayer, passed away in 1967 when Pecker was 16.

To support his mother, Pecker began bookkeeping for local businesses in the Bronx and New Rochelle, New York.

David Pecker Education

David J. Pecker graduated from Pace University. He was later awarded an honorary master’s degree from New York University.

David Pecker Personal Life

David Pekar and Karen Ballan married in 1987. They are said to have a child, but his name is unknown.

David Pecker Career

David Pecker started as an accountant at Price Waterhouse. After college, he joined CBS’s magazine division in 1979. He worked in their accounting department.

In 1999, Pecker left Hachette to raise capital and buy American Media, Inc. (AMI), the publisher of magazines such as the Star, the Globe, the National Enquirer, and the Weekly World News.

After eight years, CBS sold its magazine division. Peter Diamandis acquired the magazines next. He eventually sold them to Hachette Filipacchi Medias.

In 2019, he revealed plans to sell AMI’s tabloids. The sale would include the National Enquirer, Globe, and National Examiner. Hudson News was the intended buyer.

As AMI’s CEO, Pecker also served as publisher. He oversaw magazines like Men’s Fitness, Muscle and Fitness, Flex, Fit Pregnancy, Shape, National Enquirer, Star, Sun, Weekly World News, and Globe.

David Pecker News

Association with Donald Trump

David Pecker, the then CEO of the company, has claimed that he was a close friend of Trump and supported his 2000 presidential campaign as a Reform Party candidate.

Beginning in March 1998, Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. started producing Trump Style, which was distributed at Donald Trump’s properties.

Karen McDougal filed a lawsuit against AMI. The aim was to invalidate a non-disclosure agreement. This agreement barred her from discussing her alleged affair with Trump.

In August 2014, Pecker offered to use the National Enquirer to “catch and kill” any allegations of sexual affairs against Trump. Michael Cohen, Trump’s lawyer, requested Pecker’s AMI to purchase the rights to Stormy Daniels’s story, but Pecker refused.

In 2018, the FBI searched Michael Cohen’s office and home. The goal was to find evidence of Trump’s role in McDougal’s payment.

In February 2019, Cohen testified before the House Oversight Committee. He revealed a conspiracy with Pecker. They aimed to “catch and kill” damaging stories about Trump.

In 2018, Pecker and AMI faced an investigation for using “catch and kill” payments to acquire exclusive rights to stories that could damage Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

David Pecker Jeff Bezos – The accusation of extortion made by Jeff Bezos and Ronan Farrow

Bezos accused the National Enquirer of extortion and blackmail, which the publisher denied. The National Enquirer suggested Bezos publicly deny political motives. In return, they offered not to publish certain photos.

In 2019, the National Enquirer released private text messages and photos of Jeff Bezos. This led to an investigation into the source of the personal communications.

AMI and the Manhattan prosecutor reviewed the accusations. A breach of the law would break AMI’s immunity deal from 2018. Ronan Farrow also reported receiving similar demands from AMI.

Pecker serves on the board of directors of iPayment Holdings, Inc., Sunbeam Products, Inc., and Next Generation Network, Inc.

In August 2018, he stepped down from Postmedia Network Canada Corp. The move was linked to extensive coverage of his interactions with President Donald Trump.

In 2016, Pecker disclosed AMI’s financial difficulties. Chatham Asset Management and Anthony Melchiorre provided support.

By April 2019, Chatham Asset Management owned 80 percent of AMI’s stock. Melchiorre played a key role. He pushed Pecker and AMI to sell the National Enquirer. Scandals from Trump’s campaign and Bezos’ blackmail were factors.

In August 2020, AMI removed Pecker as CEO. Despite this, he stayed on as an executive advisor. The company was renamed a360Media. It also geared up for a merger with Accelerate 360, another Chatham property.