Vice Media VICEM

Vice Media, founded in 1994 by Shane Smith and a gaggle of freewheeling misfits, started as a Montreal magazine with an edgy take on urban culture and quickly morphed into a global media empire known for its chaotic blend of high-octane journalism and snark. The company's defining moment came in 2013 when it landed a partnership with HBO, launching “Vice News,” a show that brought its brand of raw, in-your-face reporting to the masses and snagged a Peabody Award or two. Valued once at a lofty $5.7 billion, Vice has been on a rollercoaster ride of fiscal highs and lows, now facing more financial turbulence than a hurricane-ravaged coastline. Along the way, it has amassed a portfolio of sensational stories and equally sensational scandals—like the sexual misconduct allegations and the 2018 bombshell of a $450 million investment from Disney that didn’t quite pan out. With leaders like Smith and Nancy Dubuc, who recently took the reins, Vice has managed to stay in the spotlight while often skirting the line between journalistic innovation and sensationalist pandering.