Charles William Ergen (born March 1, 1953) is an American billionaire businessman and the is co-founder and chairman of Dish Network and EchoStar.
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.
[4][6] In 1980 Ergen, his future wife Candy, and Jim DeFranco started a new business called EchoSphere Corporation, investing $60,000[7] to purchase two C-Band antennas, targeting rural Colorado.
[8] In 1990 Ergen elevated EchoStar's profile by raising $335 million in junk bonds and purchasing orbital slots for satellites.
Two years later, EchoStar got a DBS license from the Federal Communications Commission, giving the company its own geostationary orbital slot.
Ergen has stated that Dish's present focus is on acquiring a significant share of the spectrum for cellular wireless services.
[9][10][11] Under Ergen, EchoStar and Dish Network acquired multiple companies, after an $8 million deal for 22 channel assignments of DBSC.
[19] His father was an Austrian immigrant who was working in Sweden as a nuclear physicist, and left Europe prior to World War II.
[55] On November 6, 2023, Dish Network's and EchoStar share price plunged 37.43%[56] and 31.28%[57] respectively after both companies reported earnings below analysts' expectations and a decline in subscriber numbers.