Who

The CEO of the Capitol Music Group, Flom is the man who brought you Kid Rock and snaggletoothed Alaskan chanteuse Jewel.

Backstory

The son of high-flying M&A attorney Joe Flom, Jason grew up in Manhattan, played in two rock bands as a teenager, and skipped college in favor of the music business, joining Atlantic Records in 1979 as a field merchandiser. A protégé of Atlantic founder Ahmet Ertegun, by the 1980s Flom was ensconced in the label's A&R department, where he worked with rock bands like Twisted Sister and Skid Row. (Not only did he work with rockers, he partied like them, too: In the mid-80s, he checked into Hazeldon for a 30-day stint in rehab.) Flom later took over Atlantic's A&R department, earning mega-success in the 1990s with artists like Jewel, Hootie & the Blowfish, Collective Soul, Tori Amos, and Stone Temple Pilots. He later ventured off to create the Atlantic imprint Lava Records, where he made his biggest mark (or mistake) when he discovered a long-haired white MC from Detroit and turned him into Kid Rock.

Flom eventually sold his share in Lava to Atlantic's parent company, Warner Music, for a reported $50 million; following the purchase of Warner Music by Edgar Bronfman Jr. in 2004, Flom was named president of Atlantic, reporting to Lyor Cohen. But less than a year later, Flom was unceremoniously sacked by Cohen, reportedly after a power struggle with Craig Kallman. But Flom didn't remain unemployed for long. In 2005, he was named CEO of Virgin Records. After the label was folded in with Capitol Records in 2007, Flom was elevated to CEO of the Capitol Records Group, replacing Andy Slater. He now reports to David Munns, the CEO of EMI in the US.

Of note

Few in the music biz have much to brag about these days, but Flom has had an especially rocky tenure since moving to the Capitol. Notwithstanding a few successes (such as Norah Jones's 2007 release), Capitol's labels have had few hits in recent years. One particularly big disappointment was Janet Jackson's 2006 album 20 Y.O: Not only did the record flop, it led Flom to force out Janet Jackson's boyfriend, producer Jermaine Dupri, as the head of Capitol's urban music division.

On the side

Flom shares his dad's interest in the law: He's active with the ACLU, on the board of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, and has helped get three people released from unjust prison sentences. One slightly less noble extracurricular activity: Flom's an investor in Tom Scott's resort TV channel, PlumTV.

Personal

Jason is married to Wendy Berry Flom, a former music industry exec. They live in the San Remo on Central Park West, the same building that is home to Scott Rudin, Diane Keaton, James Nederlander Jr., and Ray McGuire.

True story

Flom is deathly allergic to nuts. He once had to be rushed out of Bill and Hillary Clinton's Chappaqua home and transported to the hospital after ingesting some—even after an assurance from the chef that the meal was going to be nut-free.

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