Mogul Barry Diller, Simon & Schuster Memoir Details Revealed
Barry Diller is (finally) ready to tell his story.
Who Knew, which is the title of the media mogul’s new memoir, will be published on May 20, 2025. It’s said to be delivered in Diller’s own singular voice, and will tackle both his personal and his professional worlds. Or as Jonathan Karp, Simon & Schuster’s CEO and the acquiring editor, puts it, “Barry Diller’s book is about much more than business. It is a remarkably honest and entertaining account of his personal journey, an unconventional love story and a fascinating tour through show business and digital media.”
He adds of a book that’s already managed to infiltrate the gossip pages: “Readers know when an author is telling the truth, and Who Knew is delightfully candid on every page, in addition to being full of insights about our lives at work.”
For those in the entertainment industry, Diller’s resume is well known. His career began in the William Morris mailroom, and he swiftly ascended from there. He invented the TV movie of the week at just 27, became CEO of Paramount Pictures at 32 and, by 44, had launched the fourth national network, Fox. During that run, he oversaw the production of high-profile film and TV projects including Saturday Night Fever, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Simpsons and Married… with Children. Later, Diller shifted gears, buying Home Shopping Network and founding IAC, which he grew into a multi-billion-dollar e-commerce business that, at various times, included Expedia, Tinder and Match.com. He remains the chair of IAC.
Notably, he’s managed to maintain his relevance in the years since by regularly doling out remarkably frank interviews, often about the challenged state of Hollywood, among other subjects, and making his own bold moves, including a bid for Paramount earlier this summer. Ultimately, the 82-year-old, for whom Forbes estimates a net worth of $4.6 billion, withdrew said bid, noting that he “decided that [he] didn’t really desire it.” (He also acknowledged that his interest in acquiring the studio had been “more for symmetry of my life” than any other reason.)
On a personal front, Diller has been married to fashion icon Diane von Fürstenberg since 2001, despite decades-long media speculation about the unconventional nature of their relationship. In fact, in 2013, she was asked about their marriage, which the interviewer noted “there’s a lot of curiosity” about, including the fact that the two were living in different homes. “I don’t understand what is there to understand,” von Fürstenberg replied at the time. “At times we were separated, at times we were only friends, at times we were lovers, at times we’re husband and wife, that’s our life.”
As for the technical details of Who Knew, Simon & Schuster acquired world rights to the book, which was represented by Robert Barnett of Williams & Connolly. The cover features a portrait of Diller, which was taken by the famed photographer Annie Leibovitz. For Diller, the decision to move forward with a memoir at this stage was ostensibly simple. “I’ve had a history with telling stories and I thought mine was a good yarn,” Diller explains in a statement. “If I could write it myself and tell it truthfully – I welcome it being out there for others to judge, and hopefully enjoy.”
