Bill Rasmussen, ESPN Co-Founder, Dies at 93: Biography, Career and Net Worth

Bill Rasmussen, the American sports media executive who co-founded ESPN with his son Scott Rasmussen and Ed Eagan, died on August 18, 2026, aged 93. He was born in Chicago on October 15, 1932 and helped launch ESPN in 1979 after working in radio, television and hockey communications. Rasmussen served as ESPN’s first president and chief executive, but his role was reduced before the network went on air. He later stepped away from its daily operations and reconnected with the company during its 20th anniversary celebrations in 1999. Away from ESPN, Rasmussen was linked to a failed golf-stadium project in Florida and pleaded guilty to fraud-related charges connected to the project. He disclosed a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in 2019. His estimated net worth at the time of his death was about $10 million.

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