Who Knew
Barry Diller
May 2025 · Simon and Schuster · Narrated by Barry Diller
4.5star
2 reviewsreport
headphones
Audiobook
12 hr 40 min
Unabridged
family_home
Eligible
info
reportRatings and reviews aren’t verified Learn More
Want a 11 min sample? Listen anytime, even offline.
Add
About this audiobook
Barry Diller, one of America’s most successful businessmen, reveals himself here—his successes, failures, and struggles—with surprising candor and intimacy in a memoir rich in Hollywood lore and filled with business acumen.
Writing in his singular voice, Barry Diller delivers an astute business memoir, an unvarnished look at Hollywood, a primer on media, and a surprisingly frank coming-of-age story.
“I want to work in the mail room at William Morris.” So begins Diller’s show business life. Diller did not aspire to be an agent, nor was he a glove fit for William Morris, the legendary talent agency he describes as resembling a “Jewish Vatican.” But he was a good assistant and student and took it all in.
Before long, Diller was offered a job at ABC. His ascent was meteoric, launching ABC TV’s Movie of the Week at age twenty-seven, becoming CEO of Paramount Pictures at age thirty-two, and launching the Fox TV network at age forty-four. Along the way, Diller oversaw the production of classic films such as Saturday Night Fever, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Home Alone (a film he credits with saving Rupert Murdoch’s career) and hit TV shows such as The Simpsons, Married…with Children, and Cops. He programmed and developed by instinct—not by research or data.
Diller’s media savvy changed the course of American culture. His championing of Alex Haley’s Roots put long-form miniseries on the map. He was never cowed by the talent—actors, directors, and producers—and worked with them all. Indeed, throughout his career, Diller championed “creative conflict,” encouraging argument in every business he managed (“I’ve never thought decision-making should be peaceful,” he writes). Diller also recognized our digital future, founding IAC and growing it into a billion-dollar constellation of brands, including Match, Tinder, and Expedia.
Moving beyond business, Diller recounts his family life, personal struggles, and regrets, his joyful marriage to Diane von Furstenburg, and where he has found fulfillment.
Intimate, candid, and moving, Who Knew is a different kind of business memoir, one that holds nothing back.
Writing in his singular voice, Barry Diller delivers an astute business memoir, an unvarnished look at Hollywood, a primer on media, and a surprisingly frank coming-of-age story.
“I want to work in the mail room at William Morris.” So begins Diller’s show business life. Diller did not aspire to be an agent, nor was he a glove fit for William Morris, the legendary talent agency he describes as resembling a “Jewish Vatican.” But he was a good assistant and student and took it all in.
Before long, Diller was offered a job at ABC. His ascent was meteoric, launching ABC TV’s Movie of the Week at age twenty-seven, becoming CEO of Paramount Pictures at age thirty-two, and launching the Fox TV network at age forty-four. Along the way, Diller oversaw the production of classic films such as Saturday Night Fever, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Home Alone (a film he credits with saving Rupert Murdoch’s career) and hit TV shows such as The Simpsons, Married…with Children, and Cops. He programmed and developed by instinct—not by research or data.
Diller’s media savvy changed the course of American culture. His championing of Alex Haley’s Roots put long-form miniseries on the map. He was never cowed by the talent—actors, directors, and producers—and worked with them all. Indeed, throughout his career, Diller championed “creative conflict,” encouraging argument in every business he managed (“I’ve never thought decision-making should be peaceful,” he writes). Diller also recognized our digital future, founding IAC and growing it into a billion-dollar constellation of brands, including Match, Tinder, and Expedia.
Moving beyond business, Diller recounts his family life, personal struggles, and regrets, his joyful marriage to Diane von Furstenburg, and where he has found fulfillment.
Intimate, candid, and moving, Who Knew is a different kind of business memoir, one that holds nothing back.
Ratings and reviews
4.5
2 reviews
Ben
- Flag inappropriate
July 25, 2025
It was interesting hearing the perspective of a creator of television, and movies and listening to barry, talk about relationships with people who buy billion dollar companies over conversation.
Janet Wilding
- Flag inappropriate
June 30, 2025
Interesting memoir, but it got a bit boring, and the corporate raider drama was overwrought and not that interesting.
About the author
Barry Diller’s business career has ranged from the end of the golden age of Hollywood to the frontiers of media and technology. He began his career at ABC in the 1960s, where he invented the Movie of the Week format, revolutionizing television programming. Diller later became the CEO of Paramount Pictures from 1974 to 1984, where he oversaw the production of classic films such as Saturday Night Fever, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Grease. In 1984, Diller joined 20th Century Fox, where he launched the Fox Broadcasting Company, introducing hit shows such as The Simpsons, Married…with Children, and Cops. In 1995, Diller founded IAC, a conglomerate focused on e-commerce, media, and internet companies. Under Diller’s leadership, IAC has grown into a digital powerhouse, owning brands such as Vimeo, Angi, and the Match Group (Tinder, Hinge, and OkCupid). Diller also chairs Expedia Group, one of the world’s largest travel companies. He is married to fashion designer and businesswoman Diane von Furstenberg and lives in New York City.
Rate this audiobook
Tell us what you think.
Listening information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
