# Charles Ergen

American billionaire businessman, co-founder and chairman of DISH Network and EchoStar Communications. Known for his shrewd spectrum acquisitions that positioned his companies as major players in 5G wireless communications.

## Quick Facts

- **Born:** March 1, 1953
- **Birthplace:** Oak Ridge, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Occupation:** businessperson
- **Category:** Entrepreneurs
- **Net Worth:** $15.0B (est. 2025)

## Overview

Charles William Ergen is an American billionaire businessman, and the co-founder and chairman of Dish Network and EchoStar. He was CEO of Dish Network until May 2011, when he was succeeded by Joseph Clayton. Ergen resumed the role in March 2015 after Clayton's retirement, until December 2017, when Erik Carlson, then president and COO, was promoted to CEO. Ergen remains chairman of the company. Ergen owns 48 percent of Dish and 46 percent of EchoStar shares, which gives him 78 percentage of Dish's and 72 percent of EchoStar's total voting power.

## Wikipedia Context

This profile section is complemented from Wikipedia for Charles Ergen. American businessman (born 1953)

## Sources

Primary source page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Ergen

## Timeline

### 1953 — Birth
Birth of Charles Ergen.

### 2026 — Wikipedia Complement
Profile metadata and editorial blocks were complemented using Wikipedia and Wikidata references.

### 2026 — Profile Update
Structured profile components were updated to improve completeness.

## Quotes

> "Profile note: Charles Ergen was complemented using Wikipedia reference material."
> — Charles Ergen, Peoplebio editorial note (2026)

> "Editorial note: This block stores profile notes and source context, not attributed quotations."
> — Charles Ergen, Peoplebio editorial note (2026)

> "Source note: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Ergen"
> — Charles Ergen, Peoplebio editorial note (2026)

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Source: https://peoplebio.info/p/charles-ergen