This biography tells the story of Charles Ergen, a self-made billionaire and the founder of Dish Network. It chronicles his rise to success, from his humble beginnings as a college dropout to his current status as one of the most influential figures in the telecommunications industry
Charles William Ergen is an American billionaire businessman, and the co-founder and chairman of Dish Network and EchoStar. He was CEO of Dish Network until May 2011, when he was succeeded by Joseph Clayton. Ergen resumed the role in March 2015 after Clayton's retirement, until December 2017, when Erik Carlson, then president and COO, was promoted to CEO. Ergen remains chairman of the company. Ergen owns 48 percent of Dish and 46 percent of EchoStar shares, which gives him 78 percentage of Dish's and 72 percent of EchoStar's total voting power.