Richard Rushfield

Yo, so you gotta hear about Richard Rushfield. Dude’s a straight-up Hollywood insider turned media mogul, and his story is kinda wild. He’s been deep in the Hollywood and culture game for over 20 years, worked at all the big names like Vanity Fair, LA Times, Gawker, BuzzFeed, Yahoo, and even led Hitfix. Basically, the guy’s seen everything in entertainment and has a nose for the real deal behind the glitz.

Back in 2017, he jumps into the newsletter scene with The Ankler. No fancy startup background, just a journalist who saw a gap. He wanted to give insiders the real scoop, cut through the bullshit, and keep it sharp. And holy shit, he crushed it. The Ankler blew up fast, becoming one of the top three business pubs on Substack in 2021, and a legit “hit Hollywood newsletter,” according to the NY Times. That’s no small feat, especially for a guy who’s not trying to play the big tech game but just keeping it real.

Then in 2022, he takes it up a notch. Forms Ankler Media with Janice Min, who’s another industry legend, and makes himself the editorial boss, while she’s running the show as CEO. They raised $1.5 million at a $20M valuation through Y Combinator in June 2022, no small potatoes. This shows he’s not just a journalist with a mic; he’s got the hustle, knows how to build something expandable, and is all about making noise in the media world.

What’s crazy is, this process isn’t just about making a newsletter famous. It’s about someone who saw a hole in the industry and decided to fill it with real, independent coverage. He’s all about honesty, sharp takes, and shaking up the Hollywood story. That drive? That’s what makes him stand out, someone who’s not afraid to jump into the deep end, even without a traditional startup background. He’s proof that if you’ve got the passion and the grit, you can build something legit from scratch.

On the personal side, he’s living in LA with his wife, Nicole LaPorte, who’s also a journalist, and their two kids. So, he’s all about that family life too, but he’s built this media empire because he genuinely cares about the industry and wants to tell the truth.

Long story short? Richard Rushfield is that guy who’s been around the block, knows Hollywood inside-out, and decided to shake things up with The Ankler, making waves, raising serious cash, and proving that if you’re passionate and sharp, you can start from nothing and build a real deal. No Cap, he’s a total inspiration for anyone trying to do something different in media or tech.