The Gozon Family

Aside from having a media empire, the Gozon family has real estate and banking ventures.

The patriarch, Felipe L. Gozon, born 1950, lawyer and media mogul, belongs to the Forbes’ 50 richest Filipinos, with a net worth of $ 355 million. His wealth leaped to $405 million in 2021 from $170 million in 2020.

Gozon, along with the late Gilberto Duavit, Sr., and Menardo Jimenez, is credited as the driving force behind GMA Network, Inc.’s success. The three are also known as the Gozon-Duavit-Jimenez triumvirate.

Gozon studied law at the University of the Philippines and Yale University Law School. He was the lawyer of GMA Network’s founder, Robert La Rue Stewart, also known as “Uncle Bob.”

In 1973, when Stewart’s Republic Broadcasting System (RBS) was losing money, he supposedly offered a 30 percent share to Gozon. However, Gozon only had money for a 10 percent share, so he offered 20 percent to his brother-in-law, Menardo Jimenez.

In 1975, Gozon and Jimenez took control of the management of RBS with their friend, and former president Marcos Sr.’s executive assistant, Gilberto Duavit, Sr., and renamed the station GMA Network.

Under their management, the station started its steady rise as the main competitor to the top of the Philippine media market.

In 2000, the GMA board elected Gozon chairman, president and chief executive officer, in a move to shake up management, in the process booting out his brother-in-law Jimenez from top management. While Gozon remained its chairman since, he retired as CEO in 2023. Gilberto M. Duavit, Jr. took over the position in 2024.

Gozon’s daughter, Anna Teresa M. Gozon-Valdes (1972), is also a lawyer. Father and daughter are senior and junior partners respectively at the Law Firm of Belo Gozon Elma Parel Asuncion & Lucila.

Gozon-Valdes was installed as a member of the board of directors in 2000 and has remained there since. Gozon-Valdes serves as the network’s Corporate Secretary and as a consultant to the chairman/CEO.

She is also the Senior Vice President and Head of GMA’s Talent Management and Development Dept., Program Management Dept., Human Resources Dept., Legal Dept., and GMA Worldwide.

The lawyer-turned-media executive is also an entertainment personality, and appeared in the television talent search show, Battle of the Judges, as a judge-mentor, tasked to prepare and train future Filipino talent. Gozon-Valdes also sings and guests on showbiz talk shows.