Richard L. Gelfond has run the IMAX Corporation since 1996. Gelfond grew up in New York, studied at Stony Brook University on Long Island, earned a law degree at Northwestern University, and later embarked on a career as an investment banker. But in 1994, Gelfond and a business partner, Bradley Wechsler, acquired IMAX, a Canadian company known for creating an immersive theatre experience. Today, the company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and its affiliate, IMAX China, is listed in Hong Kong. Gelfond is an engaging chief executive, and in this lightly edited interview, talks about the company's entrance into China, box office records, and how the company is now coping better inside China than in the United States.
Rich Gelfond
Illustration by Kate Copeland
Q: Your most recent annual report says that in 2019, China surpassed the U.S. as your single largest source of revenue for IMAX. That’s remarkable, considering your company had a tiny presence back in 2010. Can you
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