Gen Fukunaga

Gen Fukunaga (福永 元, Fukunaga Gen, born 22 March 1962) is a Japanese–American engineer and businessman. He established Funimation, a company that distributes anime in Canada and the United States. He currently serves as its president. As of October 2011, Fukunaga was named chairman of online video game publisher GameSamba.[5]

Gen Fukunaga
Fukunaga in 2018
Born
福永 元 (Fukunaga Gen)[1]

(1962-03-22) 22 March 1962[2][3][4]
Itami, Hyōgo, Japan
EducationPurdue University (BSEE, MSEE)
Columbia University (MBA)
OccupationFounder and President of Funimation
Years active1989–present
Spouse(s)Cindy Brennan

Biography

Fukunaga was born in Itami, Hyōgo, Japan, and grew up in West Lafayette, Indiana in the United States. He graduated from West Lafayette High School in 1979.

Fukunaga attended Purdue University where he got his BSEE in 1982 and his MSEE in 1984. He later moved to Boca Raton, Florida to work as an engineer for IBM.[6] He then attended Columbia Business School, obtaining an MBA in 1989. He held a position with Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) before getting a job with Tandem Computers in Sunnyvale, California.[7]

Fukunaga is also the co-founder and manager of EchoLight Studios, a Texas-based Christian television production company run by Rick Santorum. EchoLight initially shared office space with Fukunaga's Funimation.[8]

Originally, Toei Animation told Funimation that they could not have the Dragon Ball series. However, Fukunaga's uncle, Nagafumi Hori, was one of the producers for Toei Company and helped him convince Toei Animation to give the license to Funimation.[9] So Fukunaga went to a coworker named Daniel Cocanougher, whose family owned a feed mill in Decatur, Texas, and convinced the Cocanougher family to sell their business and invest in creating a production company.[10] With that, FUNimation Productions was established in 1994.[11]

In 2005, Funimation was acquired by the Navarre Corporation for US$100.4 million, Fukunaga still remained the company's CEO. In 2011, the company was sold to a group of investors which included Fukunaga himself.[12] In 2017, 95% of Funimation was sold to Sony Pictures Television Networks for US$143 million, with Fukunaga retaining a 5% stake.[13]

Personal life

Fukunaga is married to Cindy Brennan, who also was a co-founder and former executive producer at Funimation. They have three children.

References
  1. "福永元のフィルモグラフィー｜最新映画情報 - シネマクエスト". cinemaquest.nagoyatv.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  2. DBZ Uncensored: Interview With Gen Fukunaga
  3. Rojas, Justin (21 March 2014). "It's Gen's Birthday – Buy Yourself a Present!". FUNimation.
  4. Ferreira, Mike (23 March 2014). "Anime Boston 2014: FUNimation Online Panel". Anime Herald.
  5. Funimation CEO Gen Fukunaga Named GameSamba Chairman
  6. Abril, Danielle. "How Gen Fukunaga Turned an Interest Into a $100M Venture". D Magazine. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  7. Rogers, Bruce (January 14, 2019). "The Man Who Brought Anime To America: Sony Pictures Television's Funimation CEO Gen Fukunaga". Forbes. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  8. Weinstein, Adam. "Rick Santorum's Wholesome Film Studio Has a Smutty Anime Secret". Gawker. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on 3 July 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  9. "Dragon Ball Z Blu-ray Live Interview w/ Gen Fukunaga". FUNimation. October 6, 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  10. Green, Scott (November 11, 2017). "Funimation Initial Investor Allen Cocanougher Passes Away". Crunchyroll. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  11. "20 Years of the Best in Anime". Funimation. Archived from the original on May 19, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  12. Navarre Sells Funimation to Group with Gen Fukunaga
  13. "Funimation Agrees To Be Acquired By Sony Pictures Television Networks". funimation.com. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
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