Gen Fukunaga

2025-08-05T10:19:04Z

2405:3800:8FF:AFDC:0:0:0:1:

{{short description|American engineer}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Gen Fukunaga
| image = Gen Fukunaga by Gage Skidmore.jpg
| caption = Fukunaga in 2018
| native_name = 福永元<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cinemaquest.nagoyatv.com/people/filmography?id=282873|title=福永元のフィルモグラフィー｜最新映画情報 - シネマクエスト|website=cinemaquest.nagoyatv.com|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220131249/http://cinemaquest.nagoyatv.com/people/filmography?id=282873|archivedate=December 20, 2016|access-date=February 1, 2021}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|03|22}}<ref>[http://dbzu.3gkai.com/opinions/gfukunaga.html DBZ Uncensored: Interview With Gen Fukunaga]</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Rojas|first1=Justin|title=It's Gen's Birthday – Buy Yourself a Present!|url=http://www.funimation.com/blog/2014/03/21/its-gens-birthday-buy-yourself-a-present/|website=FUNimation|date=March 21, 2014|accessdate=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Ferreira|first1=Mike|title=Anime Boston 2014: FUNimation Online Panel|url=http://www.animeherald.com/2014/03/23/anime-boston-2014-funimation-online-panel/|website=Anime Herald|date=March 23, 2014|accessdate=}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Itami, Hyōgo]], Japan
| alma_mater = [[Purdue University]] (BSEE, MSEE)<br>[[Columbia University]] (MBA)
| occupation = {{flatlist|
* Engineer
* entrepreneur}}
| years_active = 1989–2019
| spouse = Cindy Brennan
| children = 3
}}
{{nihongo|'''Gen Fukunaga'''|福永元|Fukunaga Gen|born March 22, 1962}} is a Japanese-American engineer and entrepreneur. He established Funimation (now [[Crunchyroll LLC|Crunchyroll, LLC]]), a company that distributes [[anime]] in Canada and the United States. He was its president and chairman until he stepped down in 2019. As of October 2011, Fukunaga was chairman of online video game publisher [[GameSamba]].<ref>[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-10-27/funimation-ceo-gen-fukunaga-named-gamesamba-chairman Funimation CEO Gen Fukunaga Named GameSamba Chairman]</ref>

== Biography ==
Fukunaga was born in [[Itami, Hyōgo]], Japan, and grew up in [[West Lafayette, Indiana|West Lafayette]], Indiana in the United States. He graduated from [[West Lafayette Junior-Senior High School|West Lafayette High School]] in 1979.

Fukunaga attended [[Purdue University]] where he got his [[Bachelor of Engineering|BSEE]] in 1982 and his [[MSEE]] in 1984. He later moved to [[Boca Raton, Florida|Boca Raton]], Florida to work as an engineer for [[IBM]].<ref name="D Magazine">{{cite web |last1=Abril |first1=Danielle |title=How Gen Fukunaga Turned an Interest Into a $100M Venture |url=https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-ceo/2017/may/gen-fukunaga-funimation-entertainment-anime-flower-mound/ |website=D Magazine |date=May 9, 2017 |access-date=January 25, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> He then attended [[Columbia Business School]], obtaining an MBA in 1989. He held a position with Andersen Consulting (now [[Accenture]]) before getting a job with [[Tandem Computers]] in [[Sunnyvale, California|Sunnyvale]], [[California]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Bruce|last=Rogers|title=The Man Who Brought Anime To America: Sony Pictures Television's Funimation CEO Gen Fukunaga|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucerogers/2019/01/14/the-man-who-brought-anime-to-america-sony-pictures-televisions-funimation-ceo-gen-fukunaga/#1ffd5e7166c1|website=Forbes|date=January 14, 2019|access-date=February 1, 2021}}</ref>

Fukunaga is also the co-founder and manager of EchoLight Studios, a Texas-based Christian television production company run by [[Rick Santorum]]. EchoLight initially shared office space with Fukunaga's [[Crunchyroll LLC|Funimation]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Weinstein |first1=Adam |title=Rick Santorum's Wholesome Film Studio Has a Smutty Anime Secret |url=http://gawker.com/rick-santorums-wholesome-film-studio-has-a-smutty-anim-1552802755 |website=Gawker |publisher=Gawker Media |accessdate=July 2, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140703030939/http://gawker.com/rick-santorums-wholesome-film-studio-has-a-smutty-anim-1552802755 |archivedate=July 3, 2014}}</ref>

Originally, [[Toei Animation]] told Funimation that they could not have the ''[[Dragon Ball]]'' series. However, Fukunaga's uncle, Nagafumi Hori, was one of the producers for [[Toei Company]] and helped him convince Toei Animation to give the license to Funimation.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atTdTl3UOzI&t=4m33s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/atTdTl3UOzI |archive-date=December 22, 2021 |url-status=live| title=Dragon Ball Z Blu-ray Live Interview w/ Gen Fukunaga | publisher=FUNimation | date=October 6, 2011 | accessdate=July 17, 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> So Fukunaga went to coworker Daniel Cocanougher, whose family owned a [[feed mill]] in [[Decatur, Texas]], and convinced the Cocanougher family to sell their business and invest in creating a production company.<ref>{{cite web|first=Scott|last=Green|title=Funimation Initial Investor Allen Cocanougher Passes Away|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2017/11/19/funimation-initial-investor-allen-cocanougher-passes-away|website=Crunchyroll|date=November 11, 2017|accessdate=November 10, 2019}}</ref> With that, Funimation was established in 1994.<ref name=Anniversary>{{cite web | url = http://www.funimation.com/20th/ | title = 20 Years of the Best in Anime | website=Funimation | url-status=dead | archiveurl = https://archive.today/20140519074228/http://www.funimation.com/20th/ | archivedate = May 19, 2014 | accessdate=November 10, 2019 }}</ref>

In 2005, Funimation was acquired by the [[Navarre Corporation]] for US$100.4 million, Fukunaga still remained the company's CEO. In 2011, the company was sold to a group of investors which included Fukunaga himself.<ref>[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2005-05-11/navarre-acquires-funimation Navarre Sells Funimation to Group with Gen Fukunaga]</ref> In 2017, 95% of Funimation was sold to [[Sony Pictures Television|Sony Pictures Television Networks]] for US$143 million, with Fukunaga retaining a 5% stake.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.funimation.com/blog/2017/08/01/funimation-agrees-acquired-sony-pictures-television-networks/|title=Funimation Agrees To Be Acquired By Sony Pictures Television Networks |website=Funimation|date=August 1, 2017|access-date=November 5, 2017}}</ref>

In 2019, Fukunaga stepped down as general manager of Funimation.<ref>{{cite web|first=Todd|last=Spangler|title=Funimation Founder Gen Fukunaga Moves Into Chairman Role, Sony Seeks New GM for Anime Service (EXCLUSIVE)|url=https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/funimation-gen-fukunaga-chairman-gm-search-1203125947/|website=Variety|date=February 1, 2019|access-date=March 23, 2022}}</ref> His remaining equity interest was repurchased by Sony Pictures when he left the firm. In 2022, Funimation was consolidated into Crunchyroll LLC, named after a streaming service [[Crunchyroll|of the same name]] it was acquired by one year earlier, before Funimation's brand and services ultimately shut down in April 2024.

During an October 2023 seminar<ref>{{cite web|first=Nir|last=Regev|title=Funimation Founder Gen Fukunaga on Business of Anime, Piracy|url=https://thenaturalaristocrat.com/2023/10/12/funimation-founder-gen-fukunaga-on-business-of-anime-piracy/|website=The Natural Aristocrat|date=October 12, 2023|access-date=October 23, 2023}}</ref> at Columbia Business School's Center on Japanese Economy and Business, Fukunaga was asked by an audience member why he chose to retire from Funimation. Fukunaga replied, "Honestly, after cashing out twice in the company, I really didn't need to work for a living anymore!"

== Personal life ==
Fukunaga is married to Cindy Brennan, who also was a co-founder and former executive producer at Funimation, and they have three children. He has one sister.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECE/People/Alumni/OECE/2003/fukunaga.whtml Gen Fukunaga biography writeup] at Purdue University Alumni
* [http://www.linkedin.com/pub/gen-fukunaga/5/2b4/29a Gen Fukunaga] at [[LinkedIn]]
* {{ann|people|1382}}
* {{IMDb name|1211903|Gen Fukunaga}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fukunaga, Gen}}
[[Category:1962 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American businesspeople in the online media industry]]
[[Category:American mass media company founders]]
[[Category:American people of Japanese descent]]
[[Category:American software engineers]]
[[Category:American television executives]]
[[Category:Anime industry]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Indiana]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Texas]]
[[Category:Columbia Business School alumni]]
[[Category:Engineers from Indiana]]
[[Category:Engineers from Texas]]
[[Category:IBM employees]]
[[Category:Japanese emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:People from Itami, Hyōgo]]
[[Category:People from Roanoke, Texas]]
[[Category:People from West Lafayette, Indiana]]
[[Category:Purdue University College of Engineering alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:Sony Pictures Television employees]]

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Gen Fukunaga