Man in the News: Ike Perlmutter
The Hollywood premiere of Iron Man last year was a glittering affair. Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow and other stars mingled with the directors of Marvel Entertainment, the comic book company whose fabled superheroes have grossed some of the biggest box-office takes in recent years.
It was an important night for Isaac “Ike” Perlmutter, Marvel's chief executive and largest shareholder. The company's characters had been adapted for the screen before, but films such as Spider-Man and X-Men were made by other studios. Iron Man, wholly owned and produced by Marvel, was the company's first shot at the Hollywood big time.