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Justin B. Smith

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Justin B. Smith
Smith in 2024
Born (1969-08-13) August 13, 1969 (age 56)
Hartford, Connecticut
EducationPhillips Academy, Georgetown University
OccupationsCo-founder and CEO of Semafor
EmployerSemafor
Board member of
Georgetown University, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

Justin B. Smith (born August 13, 1969) is an American media executive. He co-founded the news website Semafor in 2022. He was previously the chief executive officer of Bloomberg Media Group. Before joining Bloomberg, Smith worked for Atlantic Media, The Week magazine and The Economist.[1][2]

Career

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Smith began his career at the Department of State in 1991, working in the U.S. Embassy at Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, under Ambassador Edward Brynn.[3] After leaving the State Department, Smith joined the International Herald Tribune. He worked in Paris and in Hong Kong, where he helped build the newspaper's conference business.[4] Smith then joined The Economist as the head of corporate strategy, working from London, Hong Kong and New York City.[5]

In 2001, Smith joined The Week, where he helped launch a U.S. version of the weekly news magazine founded in London. In 2005, Smith was promoted to president of the magazine. In 2006, he had helped The Week reach more than 443,000 U.S. subscribers.[6] While at The Week, Smith was named to AdAge's "40 Under 40" list.[7]

In 2007, Smith was hired as president of Atlantic Consumer Media at The Atlantic.[8] Smith was later promoted to president of Atlantic Media Company, which gave him responsibility over National Journal and Government Executive.[4] By 2010, under his leadership, The Atlantic made a $1.8 million profit, the first time the magazine had been profitable in decades.[9][10] While at The Atlantic, Smith oversaw the launch of several digital brands. In 2009, the company launched The Atlantic Wire, a news content and aggregation site now called The Wire. Site traffic reached nearly one million monthly visitors within one year of launch.[11] In 2012, while leading Atlantic Media, Smith founded a new global business news brand, Quartz.[12][13] In 2013, Atlantic Media launched Defense One for reporting on national security.[14]

In 2010, Smith and The Atlantic publisher Jay Lauf were named Ad Age's Publishing Executives of the Year, and The Atlantic was ranked second on Ad Age's list of A-list magazines.[7]

Smith is also the founder of Breaking Media, a collection of specialized websites that includes Above the Law, Dealbreaker and Fashionista.[5]

Bloomberg

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In July 2013, Bloomberg LP hired Justin Smith as the chief executive officer of Bloomberg Media Group, which comprises Bloomberg Television, Bloomberg Radio, Bloomberg Businessweek, and digital businesses globally. Smith reported to Bloomberg LP President and CEO Dan Doctoroff.[1] Later that year, Smith said he would add online destinations to Bloomberg and invest more in digital video.[15]

In April 2014, Smith hired veteran journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, who wrote Game Change and Double Down: Game Change 2012 on the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections respectively, to create a new Bloomberg website focused on American politics and policy.[16]

In January 2022, he stepped down as CEO to found Semafor with former New York Times journalist Ben Smith.[17][18]

Personal life

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Smith was born on August 13, 1969, in Hartford, Connecticut. His American father was president of the American College in Paris and his English mother was an artist. He was raised in Paris, where he attended the École Internationale Bilingue[19] until high school, at which point his parents moved him to Massachusetts, where he attended Fessenden School and Phillips Andover Academy.[20] After finishing secondary school, he attended the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 1991.[21] Smith served as a member of the Georgetown University Board of Directors[when?][22] and is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations.[23] He is the founder of the Bali Purnati Center for the Arts on the island of Bali and the Ouagadougou Education project.[21] In 2013, Smith was named a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute,[24] and in 2014, he was named to the board of directors for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.[25]

Smith lives in Washington, D.C., and New York City.[19] As of 2021, he was dating American actress Uma Thurman.[26][27]

References

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  1. 1 2 "Bloomberg LP Names Justin B. Smith CEO Of Bloomberg Media Group". Bloomberg. July 23, 2013. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
  2. ↑ Gelles, David (January 4, 2022). "Ben Smith Is Leaving The Times for a Global News Start-Up". The New York TImes. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  3. ↑ Gupte, Pranay (April 19, 2006). "Lunch at The Four Seasons with: Justin Smith". PranayGupte.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2006.
  4. 1 2 Moses, Lucia (September 27, 2011). "How David Bradley and Justin Smith Saved 'The Atlantic'". AdWeek. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  5. 1 2 Carr, David (April 30, 2013). "Bloomberg Media Recruits a New Chief From The Atlantic". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 14, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  6. ↑ Ives, Nat (July 11, 2007). "The Week Loses Its President to Atlantic Monthly". AdAge. Archived from the original on March 26, 2015. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  7. 1 2 Ives, Nat (August 7, 2006). "Justin Smith, 36". AdAge. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  8. ↑ Dumenco, Simon (October 4, 2010). "The Atlantic Is No. 2 on Ad Age's Magazine A-List". AdAge. Archived from the original on May 2, 2015. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  9. ↑ Indvik, Lauren (December 19, 2011). "Inside 'The Atlantic': How One Magazine Got Profitable by Going 'Digital First'". Mashable. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  10. ↑ Peters, Jeremy W. (13 December 2010). "Web Focus Helps Revitalize The Atlantic". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 July 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  11. ↑ Peters, Jeremy W. (December 12, 2010). "Web Focus Helps Revitalize The Atlantic". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  12. ↑ Carr, David (29 July 2013). "Bloomberg Media Recruits a New Chief From The Atlantic". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2017. In a letter to the staff about Mr. Smith's departure, David Bradley, the owner of Atlantic Media, credited Mr. Smith with bringing the company to profitability for the first time under his ownership; doubling revenue; and creating a number of successful digital start-ups, including The Atlantic Wire and Quartz.
  13. ↑ "Atlantic Media President Justin Smith Named CEO of Bloomberg Media Group". The Hollywood Reporter. July 28, 2013. Archived from the original on September 7, 2025. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
  14. ↑ Indvik, Lauren (July 16, 2013). "Atlantic Media Launches Digital Publication, 'Defense One'". Mashable. Archived from the original on April 4, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  15. ↑ Morrissey, Brian (March 19, 2014). "Justin Smith's plan for where Bloomberg Media goes next". Digiday. Archived from the original on September 11, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  16. ↑ Somaiya, Ravi (May 4, 2014). "Bloomberg Gains 2 Veteran Political Journalists". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 20, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  17. ↑ Mullin, Benjamin (January 4, 2022). "Bloomberg Media CEO Justin Smith Steps Down to Found News Startup". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  18. ↑ Weprin, Alex (January 4, 2022). "Bloomberg Media CEO Justin Smith Exits, Teams With N.Y. Times' Ben Smith for Startup". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  19. 1 2 McCreesh, Shawn (2022-01-04). "Ben Smith Goes Global". Intelligencer. Archived from the original on 2023-07-08. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
  20. ↑ Scott, Nathan (2013). "Reviving an Aging Icon". Andover. Archived from the original on 2024-12-18. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  21. 1 2 "Fellow Profile: Justin Smith". Aspen Institute. Archived from the original on 2014-09-11.
  22. ↑ "Board of Directors". Georgetown University. Archived from the original on 2014-09-11. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
  23. ↑ "Membership Roster". Council on Foreign Relations. Archived from the original on 2017-05-14. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
  24. ↑ "Leadership Programs: 2013 Class". Aspen Institute. Archived from the original on 2014-10-18. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
  25. ↑ "The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Welcomes Two New Members to its Board of Directors". Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Archived from the original on 2014-08-05. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
  26. ↑ "D.C. Parties Are Popping, Even Without Biden". The New York Times. June 18, 2021. Archived from the original on 2 July 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  27. ↑ "Uma Thurman Is Reportedly Dating Bloomberg Media CEO Justin B. Smith: 'I'm a News Lover'". People. June 19, 2021. Archived from the original on 19 May 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2025.


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