Steve Tisch

Steven Elliot Tisch (born February 14, 1949) is an American film producer and businessman. He is the chairman and executive vice president of the New York Giants,^[1] the NFL team co-owned by his family, as well as a film and television producer. He is the son of former Giants co-owner Preston Robert Tisch.

Tisch was born in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, the son of Joan (née Hyman) and Preston Robert Tisch, a film and television executive who also served as the United States Postmaster General.^[2] He has two siblings, Jonathan Tisch and Laurie Tisch. His family is Jewish.^[3] He attended Tufts University, during which he began his filmmaking career.^[2]

During his youth, Tisch made a number of small films with Columbia Pictures' backing.^[1] In 1976, he left Columbia and made his first feature film, Outlaw Blues.^[1] In 1983, he made Risky Business, in which Tom Cruise had his first lead role.^[4]

In 1984, Tisch produced the made-for-TV movie The Burning Bed, which caused controversy and received 11 Emmy nominations^[1] for Farrah Fawcett's depiction of a battered wife. In 1986, Tisch launched his own production company, the Steve Tisch Company, which has since specialized in small-screen films. The company originally had a two-picture agreement with New World Pictures, with Soul Man being the first film of a proposed two-picture deal.^[6] In 1987, the company set up multiple projects at Warner Bros., including the feature rights to the Mr. Magoo character (Disney eventually made the project in 1997 as a live-action film) and three original projects.^[7] Tisch also produced several critically acclaimed films, including Forrest Gump, American History X, and Snatch.^[8] He received a Best Motion Picture Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Forrest Gump, which was nominated for 13 Academy Awards and won six, and remains one of the highest domestic box-office grossing films. Tisch is also the only person to have received a Golden Globe, an Academy Award,^[9] a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, and a Super Bowl Ring.^[10] In 1999, he developed and produced a television pilot, Mission Extreme, for Film Roman and Max Degree TV, but it was canceled due to lack of international backers.^[11][12][13]

Tisch is a partner at Escape Artists, an independently financed film production company based at Sony Pictures Entertainment that resulted from a merger between the Steve Tisch Company and Todd Black's and Jason Blumenthal's production company Black & Blu.^[14] Escape Artists released The Weather Man in 2005 and Columbia Pictures released The Pursuit of Happyness in 2006.^[8] Other projects include Seven Pounds, Knowing, and The Taking of Pelham 123.^[8] The company's television projects include Perpetual Grace, LTD for Epix, and Servant for Apple TV+.

In 2007, Tufts University gave Tisch the P. T. Barnum Award for exceptional work in media and entertainment.^[15]

In 2005, Tisch became chairman and executive vice president of the New York Giants football team.^[1] He accepted the Vince Lombardi Trophy twice, when the Giants won Super Bowl XLII and when they won Super Bowl XLVI. On April 30, 2008, President George W. Bush invited Tisch and the rest of the Giants team and administration to the White House to honor their Super Bowl victory.^[5]

Tisch appeared in season 5 of the reality show Shark Tank.^[16]

After the 2021 season, when the Giants finished 4-13, Tisch "pushed" John Mara to fire head coach Joe Judge when Mara was reportedly willing to give Judge a third season.^[17][18]

Amidst backlash from his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein becoming public, Tisch and his siblings, Laurie and Jonathan, requested approval from the NFL to transfer their ownership stakes in the Giants to their children’s trusts on March 11, 2026.^[19] Until the transfer request is approved, Tisch is expected to continue to be involved in the franchise.^[20]

Tisch has been married twice. He had two children with his first wife, Patsy A. Tisch;^[21] the marriage ended in divorce.^[22] Their son William Tisch is an owner and managing member of the Eldridge Hospitality Group, a New York-based owner and operator of restaurants and nightlife venues.

In 1996, Tisch married Jamie Leigh Anne Alexander.^[22] They had three children^[23] before divorcing.^[24]

On August 10, 2020, Tisch announced that his daughter from his first marriage, Hilary, died by suicide after a history of depression. She was 36.^[25]

Tisch's brother Jonathan is the Giants' treasurer. His cousin Jessica is commissioner of the New York City Police Department.^[26]

Tisch was mentioned over 400 times in files relating to Jeffrey Epstein the United States Department of Justice released on January 30, 2026. The files reveal that Epstein scouted for women Tisch called "working girls".^[27][28] In one email, Epstein followed up with Tisch about a woman from Ukraine he arranged to be with him, writing, "she is a little freaked by the age difference but go slow".^[29]

In response, Tisch released the following statement: "We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy, and investments. I did not take him up on any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with."^[30] The NFL is investigating the matter.

• New York Giants bio

Media related to Steve Tisch at Wikimedia Commons

• Steve Tisch at IMDb