James L. Dolan Biography

James Lawrence Dolan is an American businessman currently affiliated with The Madison Square Garden Company as its executive chairman and CEO. He also holds the position of the executive chairman at MSG Networks. A New York native, Dolan initially wanted to be a musician but later decided to pursue a degree in communications at SUNY New Paltz. Later, he joined his father’s company, Cablevision, and worked in various capacities for several years. In 1995, he became the CEO of the company and served in that position until the company’s sale in 2016. Dolan was one of the most vocal critics of his father’s Voom satellite service idea and eventually was successful in shutting it down. However, he has experienced plenty of failures in his own career. He bought Wiz entertainment and electronics chain and Clearview Cinemas chain, both of which proved to be non-profitable business ventures. As the chairman of the Maddison Square Garden Company, he runs the day-to-day operations of its sports teams, the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, and New York Liberty. His management of these teams has been severely criticised by fans, media, and people involved in the respective sports.