Charles Ergen Owner of the company "EchoStar" Date of Birth: 01.03.1953 Country: USA

Biography of Charles Ergen

Charles Ergen, the owner of EchoStar Corporation, was born on March 1, 1953, in the small town of Oakridge, Tennessee. His parents, William and Viola Ergen, were educated individuals, with his father studying nuclear physics and his mother working as a manager at a children's museum in Oakridge.

During his school years, Charles was an open-minded child who actively participated in various school competitions and excelled in basketball. It was during this time that he developed a strong character of a fighter for his principles and goals, not hesitating to confront opponents. In 1976, he earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee and completed a graduate program in management at Wake Forest University in 1978.

After completing his education, Charles started working at Frito-Lay corporation but decided to change his job after two years. He held various positions mostly related to management and finance, but he always had the idea of starting his own business. Charles had a penchant for gambling and frequently played cards, but one day he was accused of fraud and was no longer allowed to play. Therefore, he had to find another line of work, and starting his own business seemed like the only viable option.

He found a partner named David DeFranco and together they used their savings to establish a company called EchoSphere, later renamed EchoStar. For a long time, their enterprise struggled in obscurity. Initially, they teetered on the brink of bankruptcy as not many people were interested in satellite systems, and they had few customers.

In 1982, Charles filed an application with the US Federal Communications Commission to obtain a patent for satellite broadcasting. In 1992, he received a license and a spot on a satellite. The network he created was named Dish Network. Charles lacked sufficient funds and influential sponsors to successfully run his business, so he had to be frugal and resourceful in challenging situations.

In 1994, EchoStar established its first transmission center in Wyoming. Charles Ergen, now 54 years old, remains deeply passionate about his work and will defend it until the end. It is doubtful that anyone in EchoStar company can work better than him. Charles Ergen's net worth is estimated at $9.1 billion, and he is ranked 34th on Forbes' list of the world's richest people.