Bobby Shriver

Robert Sargent Shriver III, born on April 28, 1954, in Chicago, Illinois, is an American attorney, activist, and journalist. He is a member of the Shriver and Kennedy families; his father was Sargent Shriver (1915–2011), and his mother was Eunice Kennedy Shriver (1921–2009). His maternal uncles include John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, and U.S. Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy. Shriver is the eldest of five children, with siblings Maria (born 1955), Timothy (born 1959), Mark (born 1964), and Anthony (born 1965).

Shriver attended Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, where he became a member of the Scroll and Key Society. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies with cum laude honors. Subsequently, he graduated from Yale Law School with a Juris Doctor degree in 1981. Following his graduation, he clerked for Judge Stephen R. Reinhardt at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco.

His early career included work in venture capital at James D. Wolfensohn, Inc., in New York City. Shriver was an investor, along with his father Sarge, Eli Jacobs, and Larry Lucchino, in the Baltimore Orioles baseball team from 1989 to 1993. He is an attorney and served as president of RSS Inc., a Beverly Hills-based music, film, and philanthropic company, with the initials representing his own name.

In 1987, Shriver produced a prime-time television feature about the Special Olympics, an organization for disabled youth founded by his mother. This production contributed to raising over US$55 million for the Special Olympics. He has also produced several films, including "True Lies" in 1994, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, his brother-in-law at the time.

Shriver co-founded Data in 2002 with Bono, the lead singer of U2. Data is a multinational organization dedicated to addressing issues such as debt relief for Africa, the fight against AIDS, and trade improvements. It was a founding organization of the ONE Campaign in 2004, which aims to increase U.S. government aid effectiveness. In 2006, Shriver and Bono co-founded (RED), an initiative to engage global corporations in funding efforts against AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. (RED) has generated over $700 million, impacting over 245 million lives.

In the realm of public service, Shriver was appointed by California Governor Gray Davis and reappointed by Arnold Schwarzenegger as chairman of the California State Park and Recreation Commission. During his chairmanship, he and vice chairman Clint Eastwood opposed the construction of a toll road through San Onofre State Beach, including Trestles, a popular surfing location. Their opposition contributed to the rejection of the toll road project by the California Coastal Commission in 2008.

Shriver was elected to the Santa Monica City Council in November 2004, serving until November 2012. He was elected to a second term in 2008, winning the most votes among thirteen candidates. In 2009, he was reported as considering a run for California Attorney General in 2010 but ultimately did not run.

On January 21, 2014, it was reported that Shriver launched a campaign for Los Angeles County Supervisor; he was defeated by Sheila Kuehl.

Regarding his personal life, Shriver was linked romantically in the 1970s to Princess Caroline of Monaco. In 1989, he had an affair with director Sondra Locke. He was also involved with Lauren Bessette, who was the sister of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. Bessette was a passenger in JFK Jr.'s private plane during the weekend of his death in 1999.

He married Malissa Feruzzi on May 7, 2005. They have a daughter named Rosemary Scarlett Shriver, born in 2009. Shriver also has a stepdaughter, Natasha Hunt Lee, born in 1997, from his wife's previous marriage.

In recognition of his contributions, Shriver received The Advertising Club's Silver Medal Award in 2007 for his work with (RED). In 2008, he was honored with the amfAR Award of Courage for his efforts related to HIV/AIDS awareness and research.