When it comes to toy development, very few have the vision of Isaac Larian.
The Iranian-American entrepreneur is best known for his founding role and CEO of MGA Entertainment, the world’s largest privately-owned toy companies.
Born in Iran in 1954, Larian immigrated to the United States as a teenager, eventually entering into the worlds of engineering, manufacturing and global trade. Larian founded MGA in 1997 with an eye on revolutionizing the toy industry.
Under his watch, MGA would go on to create some of the most iconic and recognizable lines of toys, including Bratz dolls, L.O.L. Surprise! and Rainbow High, earning the billionaire many accolades for his product development and business acumen.
It was designer Bratz dolls that put MGA on the map, taking a sizable chunk of a market away from Mattel and its Barbie line. Larian and MGA solidified their reputation in the global market in 2016 with the release of L.O.L. Surprise! Dolls. As a result, the corporation has banked more than $4 billion in sales from L.O.L. Surprise! alone as part of a $9 billion in earnings for MGA.
In 2004, he was honored with the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Not bad for a man who is said to have begun working as a dishwasher at age 17 making $1.75 per hour.
Away from the toy industry, Larian is a staunch supporter of charitable endeavors aimed at the children’s education and welfare.
Because of this Isaac Larian is the latest inductee into the Pop Culture Hall of Fame among Entrepreneurs.
