Jean David Blanc

Blanc was born into a family of musicians; his father is the violinist Serge Blanc and his mother is a music teacher. His younger brother, Emmanuel Blanc, is a violist with the Orchestre National de France.[5] Blanc started his career in eBusiness from a young age.[2] At the age of 13, he designed video games for the Apple II and published articles in computer publications. At 15, he and Jean Marc Royer created Futura, a bulletin board system.[2] Blanc founded his first IT services company, Crystal Technologies, and introduced the first electronic information service supported on Minitel for the Marlboro Racing Service the following year.[2][6] At 17, he established his first company, Concerto Telematique, which provided interactive Minitel and phone services to brands such as Marlboro, Nissan, Elf and Coca-Cola.[2] At the age of 22, he had the idea of AlloCiné, a telephone and web-based film ticketing service, and launched the company with Patrick Holzman in 1993.[2][6][7] After 10 years as CEO and developing AlloCiné, Blanc sold the company to Vivendi Universal in 2001.[2][3]

After AlloCiné, Blanc has become an active business angel, consultant and strategic advisor for groups and venture capitals related to the internet and new technologies in Europe and the US.[3][8] He has invested in start-ups such as Appsfire, Square Inc., TheCools, Meetic, and Véoprint.[2] In addition, he mentors and sponsors the startup program at the SUPdeWEB school in Paris.[9]

In June 2015, Jean-David Blanc launches with Pierre Lescure and members of the prime AlloCiné team, a new online TV service called Molotov.[10][11]

In 2016 he was publicly accused by former partner Melissa George of physical assault against herself, which led to the termination of the relationship.[12] They both have been condemned by the Court for mutual violence.[13] In September 2016, George separated from Blanc following allegations of domestic abuse that purportedly occurred at their home in Paris.[14][15] George was hospitalised with head and neck injuries,[15] and both Blanc and George received domestic assault charges over the incident, with Blanc claiming George instigated the confrontation.[15] Blanc was ordered to pay George €1,000 in damages, and she, €1 to him.[15]

Blanc has been a musician from a young age. He studied harmony and improvisation with the pedagogue Robert Kaddouch, and studied jazz piano at the American School of Modern Music in Paris, France.[1][2] He has worked with actors and directors on different films and projects, and produced the 2005 film, Cavalcade.[2][16] In 2012, Blanc authored his first book, Three Days in Nepal, which recounted Blanc's experience of a 2011 paramotoring accident that left him trapped in the mountains of Nepal.[2][17][18]