November 06, 2026
Provided Image/Comcast
Julian Brodsky, one of three co-founders of Comcast, died Thursday at 93. Above, Brodsky, right, is pictured alongside co-founders Ralph Roberts, left, and Dan Aaron, center, in the early 1990s.
Julian Brodsky, who co-founded Comcast and was its longtime chief financial officer, died Thursday. He was 93.
Comcast shared the news of Brodsky's death Friday afternoon. The company did not state the cause of Brodsky's death, but the Inquirer reported that he had been in hospice care.
Brodsky's death came less than two weeks after he and his wife, Lois, announced a $20 million donation to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The funding will be used to create a new education center.
Brodsky graduated from Overbrook High School and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to his time at Comcast, he served two years in the Army and worked as an accountant and auditor. He also developed an interest in cable television.
In 1963, he and Ralph Roberts and Daniel Aaron purchased a small cable television system in Tulepo, Mississippi. The trio then worked out of an office near Philadelphia as they transformed their company into a telecommunications giant.
As CFO, Brodsky worked to secure capital for Comcast's growth and oversaw acquisitions of smaller companies. In its statement Friday, Comcast credited Brodsky with showing cable television's long-term investment potential to investors during the industry's early days.
1972, he played a key role in facilitating Comcast's initial public offering. In 1999, he and Roberts co-founded Comcast Ventures, the company's investment group for early-stage technology startups. He became the non-executive vice chairman in 2004, a role which he served for seven years before his retirement in 2011.
Julian Brodsky co-founded Comcast in 1963 and served as its longtime chief financial officer, helping transform it into a telecommunications giant.
Comcast Chairman Brian Roberts, the son of Ralph Roberts, called Brodsky a "brilliant financial mind and one of the architects of cable television."
"He was one of the most creative financiers of his generation, but just as important, he established a culture of financial integrity, uncompromising standards, and respect for colleagues that remains at the heart of our company today," Roberts said in a statement. "Julian was a mentor and a friend, and his contributions to our company and our community cannot be overstated. We will miss him deeply, and our thoughts are with his family and everyone who knew and loved him."
Brodsky was inducted into the Cable Television Hall of Fame for his accomplishments in the telecommunications industry. He also received the National Cable & Telecommunications Association's Vanguard Award for Distinguished Leadership.
Brodsky also was a trustee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art for almost three decades. His wife, Lois, volunteered there as a museum guide for more than 30 years. The new education center being built with their donation is expected to include a visitor orientation area, a community hub, art studios and a learning center for families, although plans won't be completed until next summer.
Brodsky is survived by his wife, Lois, three daughters and four grandchildren. His family plans to host a private memorial service, and will hold a celebration of life at a later date.
