Charles W. "Charlie" Ergen (born May 1, 1953) is the co-founder and CEO of EchoStar Communications Corporation, the parent company of Dish Network. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) is the parent company of DISH Network and the maintainer of the satellite fleet that provides the signal that DISH Network markets. ... DISH Network is a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service that provides satellite television and audio programming to households and businesses in the United States, owned by parent company EchoStar Communications Corporation. ...

Born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Ergen's father William Ergen was a nuclear physicist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and his mother Viola Ergen is the retired business manager of the Children's Museum of Oak Ridge. After graduating from Oak Ridge High School in 1971, he graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (BA) and Wake Forest University (MBA). He worked as a financial analyst for Frito Lay and as a professional blackjack player until he was kicked out of a casino for card counting. Oak Ridge is an incorporated city in Anderson and Roane Counties in East Tennessee, about 25 miles northwest of Knoxville. ... A combination of federal, state and private funds is providing $300 million for the construction of 13 facilities on ORNLs new main campus. ... An agent or representative of musicians and/or recording artists, whose main job is to supervise their business affairs, and the proper handling of their financial matters. ... The Childrens Museum of Oak Ridge is a non-profit organization in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, that provides museum exhibits and educational programs. ... Oak Ridge High School is the public high school for Oak Ridge, Tennessee. ... The University of Tennessee (UT), sometimes called the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT Knoxville or UTK), is the primary institution of the statewide land-grant University of Tennessee system, Tennessees flagship public university. ... Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. ... Frito-Lay is an American and international company that markets corn chips, potato chips, and other snack foods. ... This article is about the gambling game. ... Card counting is a card game strategy used to determine when a player has a probability advantage. ...

In 1980, he founded EchoStar with his wife Candy and Jim DeFranco, targeting rural audiences for satellite dish service. He hosts a show called Charlie Chat on the Dish Network. Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... DISH Network is a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service that provides satellite television and audio programming to households and businesses in the United States, owned by parent company EchoStar Communications Corporation. ...

Ergen has a reputation of being a down-to-earth person and a ruthless businessman.

See also

• List of billionaires

Forbes magazine annually lists the worlds wealthiest individuals: The Worlds Billionaries. ...

References

• International Directory of Business Biographies

External links

• Forbes.com: Forbes World's Richest People
• Forbes.com: Forbes Executive Pay