Strauss Zelnick: “Doing something from scratch, that’s challenging.”
From Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing with Bob Pittman by iHeartPodcasts
March 26, 2026 · 39 min
About this episode
Strauss Zelnick discusses his career in media and technology, the challenges of entrepreneurship, and his commitment to health and wellness.
After finding success from a young age at companies like 20th Century Studios, Vestron, and BMG Entertainment, Strauss Zelnick decided to go out on his own in his 40s. He founded Zelnick Media Capital and became CEO of Take-Two Interactive, the software company behind Grand Theft Auto. Together, they’re a $55 billion enterprise. He’s spent his career at the intersection of technology and media working across film, music, and home entertainment. Not to mention he holds an MBA as well as a JD from Harvard and is the author of Becoming Ageless: The Four Secrets to Looking and Feeling Younger Than Ever. He’s also a longtime friend of Bob’s who sits down to talk about what it looks like to operate on the business side of creative industries, the importance of developing talent, his outlook on the future of technology, and his own personal commitment to health and wellness. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People in this episode
Host: Bob Pittman
Guest: Strauss Zelnick
Topics covered
- business
- media
- technology
- health
- entertainment
- talent development
Keywords
- Strauss Zelnick
- Take-Two Interactive
- Zelnick Media Capital
- media
- technology
- health
- entrepreneurship
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Zelnick Media Capital, Take-Two Interactive, 20th Century Studios, Vestron, BMG Entertainment
Books & works: Becoming Ageless: The Four Secrets to Looking and Feeling Younger Than Ever
Places: Harvard
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