The Toy Magnate Who Took On Barbie Gears Up for Christmas Season
- Isaac Larian’s MGA has this year’s best-selling holiday toy
- Immigrant went from dish washer to net worth of $2.5 billion
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Isaac Larian arrived in the U.S. as a teenager with $750 in his pocket, then spent a decade working in a restaurant before making his fortune in the toy business. But his biggest obstacle may have been an 11.5-inch tall plastic doll with blonde hair.
“Everyone said, ‘No one has been able to challenge Barbie. It won’t work,’” said Larian, 64, the Iranian-born founder and chief executive officer of MGA Entertainment, creator of Barbie rival Bratz dolls.