Former Female Barack Obama Employee Wants To Buy Weinstein Company
Last month, Hollywood film mogul Harvey Weinstein was fired from his position at the Weinstein Company following allegations of sexual harassment and assault (some of which claims he has denied).
In the days that followed the announcement of Weinstein's dismissal, it was believed the producer's brother and co-chairman Bob Weinstein (claims he has also refuted)- who has since also been accused of sexual harassment - and operating officer David Glasser would lead the company in Harvey's absence.
However, there's one woman out there who wants to shake things up a bit and has submitted a bid to buy the company in the hope of implementing a majority-women leadership.
The Wall Street Journal reports Maria Contreras-Sweet, a Mexican immigrant and former head of the Small Business Administration under President Barack Obama, has offered a surprise bid, believing that 'reorganising the Company as a woman-led venture will be an inspiration to the industry'.
The businesswoman reportedly has four backers behind her estimated £207million ($275 million) bid including financial and law firms Loeb & Loeb, Ernst & Young and FTI's Roy Salter as advisors, according to Deadline. It's also thought she has plans to make 51 per cent of the company controlled by women.
'In the letter, Ms. Contreras-Sweet said she hopes to be executive chairwoman of a majority-female board heading Weinstein Co.,' which would be renamed, reports the publication.
'She also wants to set up a fund for victims of alleged sexual misconduct by the studio's recently fired co-chairman Harvey Weinstein and a mediation process to reach settlements with them.'
Attorney Gloria Allred - who has represented several Weinstein accusers, including Heather Kerr, Louisette Geiss, and Mimi Haleyi - also reportedly consulted with Contreras-Sweet on the mediation process and endorses her offer.
Allred is said to have wrote a statement describing Contreras-Sweet's offer as 'very important to victims'.
The former executive chairwoman and founder of ProAmérica Bank is also thought to want to keep on most or all of the company's 157 employees (except Bob Weinstein, unsurprisingly) if successful with her purchase and intends to keep the film and television studio producing projects.
The WSJ reports other possible bidders include Lionsgate, A&E, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc but we're backing Contreras-Sweet for this one.
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