Iranian-born billionaire Isaac Larian has built one of the most colorful, combative, and creative empires in the modern toy business. As the founder and CEO of MGA Entertainment, he rose from penniless immigrant to the man behind some of the most popular and controversial dolls in the world. Larian’s journey is a rags-to-riches tale driven by instinct, obsession, and unrelenting ambition.
Larian made his fortune by launching Bratz dolls in 2001, a bold and rebellious answer to Barbie that became a cultural sensation. Known for their oversized heads, edgy fashion, and diverse ethnicities, Bratz dolls struck a chord with young girls and disrupted the dominance of Mattel’s flagship brand. Under Larian’s leadership, MGA expanded into other major lines like L.O.L. Surprise!, Little Tikes, and Num Noms, establishing itself as the largest privately owned toy company in the United States.
But Larian’s path hasn’t been smooth. His career has been marked by lawsuits, business rivalries, and public controversies. He spent years in legal war with Mattel over Bratz, fought off near-bankruptcy, clashed with his own brother, and most recently faced a high-stakes courtroom battle against rapper T.I. and singer Tiny Harris over alleged copyright infringement. Through it all, Larian has remained defiantly hands-on, rising before dawn to personally review product designs, approve fabrics, and direct strategy.
Early Life and Immigrant Hustle
Born one of five children in Tehran, Larian grew up poor. His father sold textiles and believed sleep was a waste of time—a philosophy Larian still quotes. In 1971, he bought a one-way ticket to Los Angeles with just $750 in his pocket. While working as a waiter, he put himself through California State University, Los Angeles, earning a degree in civil engineering. Plans to return home were scrapped after the Ayatollah’s rise to power. So instead, Larian stayed and hustled.
With his brother Fred, he launched a modest import-export business in 1979. They started with brass trinkets, then moved into consumer electronics. They struck gold in the early ’80s by repackaging Nintendo’s Game & Watch, racking up $21 million in sales in their first year.
Building MGA Entertainment
In 1993, Larian launched MGA Entertainment, initially becoming a licensee for the wildly popular Power Rangers toys. His first major original success came in 1997 with Singing Bouncy Baby, a talking doll that topped holiday sales charts. But his true breakthrough came in 2001 with the launch of Bratz.
Bratz dolls, with their oversized heads, pouty lips, and edgy fashion, were everything Barbie wasn’t—and that was the point. The dolls became a cultural sensation and a commercial powerhouse, selling $800 million worth in 2005 and briefly dethroning Barbie as the top-selling doll in America. Bratz also ushered in a years-long legal war with Barbie-maker Mattel, which claimed that Bratz’s original designer, Carter Bryant, developed the concept while employed at Mattel.
Legal Warfare and Rebounding
The Mattel-MGA lawsuit consumed years and millions of dollars. At one point, a judge temporarily blocked MGA from selling Bratz, nearly sinking the company. But Larian survived—barely. The 2006 acquisition of Little Tikes and its Ohio-based factory helped stabilize MGA, and ultimately, the courts ruled in MGA’s favor, awarding them $137 million in legal fees.
Larian also clashed with his brother Fred, who sold his 45% stake in MGA for $9 million in 2000, just before Bratz exploded. Fred later sued, claiming Isaac had withheld information. The case was dropped under family pressure, and the brothers haven’t spoken since.
OMG Girlz Lawsuit
In 2023, Larian and MGA faced a new courtroom battle—this time against rapper T.I., his wife Tiny Harris, and their former teen girl group, OMG Girlz. They sued MGA, claiming the company’s popular L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. dolls had copied the group’s distinctive fashion and hairstyles.
After a mistrial and then an MGA victory in a second trial (which ended with T.I. and Tiny being ordered to pay MGA $6 million), a third trial was granted thanks to a Supreme Court ruling in an unrelated case. In September 2024, the jury awarded the plaintiffs $71 million—$17.9 million in damages and $53.6 million in punitive fines against MGA.
Bratz Revival and the Future
MGA continues to push forward. The company has launched new lines like Mini Bratz, collaborated with Kylie Jenner and Cult Gaia, and introduced inclusive dolls such as a Pride-themed set featuring Bratz characters in a same-sex couple. A Bratz feature film is in the works for 2026.
Despite nearing his mid-70s, Larian still runs MGA with intense personal involvement. He answers emails at 4 a.m., works 16-hour days, and oversees even the tiniest design decisions. He’s a self-described fighter who thrives on conflict and refuses to slow down.
“I don’t work for money.”
He once said, “I don’t work for money. I work because I love it.”
But love or not, Isaac Larian has turned a whole bunch of plastic dolls into a massive fortune. Today, his 82% stake in MGA Entertainment gives him a net worth of $1.1 billion.
Isaac Larian’s rise from a penniless Iranian immigrant to a billionaire toy mogul is one of the most unlikely and inspiring business stories in modern American history.