James C. Kennedy
James Cox Kennedy (born November 29, 1947) is an American media executive and the current chair of Cox Enterprises, the conglomerate founded by his grandfather, James M. Cox. According to the 2017 Forbes billionaires list, he is the 105th-richest person in the world, the 37th-richest person in the United States, and the richest person in the state of Georgia.[1][2]
James C. Kennedy
November 29, 1947
B.A. University of Denver
Businessperson
Chair of Cox Enterprises
Sarah Kennedy
Stanley C. Kennedy Jr.
Barbara Cox Anthony
- James M. Cox (grandfather)
- Blair Parry-Okeden (sister)
- Anne Cox Chambers (aunt)
- Katharine Rayner (first cousin)
- Margaretta Taylor (first cousin)
- James Cox Chambers (first cousin)
Personal life and education[edit]
Born on November 29, 1947, in Honolulu, in the Territory of Hawaii,[3] Kennedy is the son of Barbara Cox Anthony and airline executive Stanley C. Kennedy Jr. His maternal grandfather was James M. Cox, the 46th and 48th governor of Ohio, newspaper publisher and broadcaster. In 2007, Kennedy inherited a 25% stake in Cox Enterprises after his mother died. Kennedy now serves as chairman of Cox Enterprises.[4] His sister is Blair Parry-Okeden, Australia's second-richest woman.[5]
Kennedy received his bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Denver in 1970.[6] In 2003, he received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Kennesaw State University,[7] located in Kennesaw, Georgia. In 2018, he was granted an honorary doctorate from Colorado State University.[8]
Kennedy lives in Atlanta with his wife, Sarah. They have three grown children—a daughter and two sons—and three grandchildren.
Career[edit]
Kennedy began his career with Cox Enterprises in 1972, working in a variety of media roles. He began his career with Cox Newspapers where he held several positions in the newspaper industry, including production assistant, reporter, copy editor, advertising salesman, business manager, and executive vice president/general manager in Atlanta. He was named president of Grand Junction Newspapers, Inc. in 1979 and was quickly named publisher of the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, where he worked the back shop as well as on the newsroom floor. He was known as the "New Kid."[7] Soon after, Kennedy returned to Atlanta where in 1986, he was named executive vice president of Cox Enterprises. He was inducted into the Technology Association of Georgia's Technology Hall of Fame in 2016.[9]
A 2015 Forbes magazine profile on Kennedy was titled "This Billionaire Knows The Secret To Saving A Family Business".[10]