Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets—Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These people continue to make moves, so rather than waiting for the next Haute 100 issue to come out, we thought we’d provide you with regular updates on those Haute 100 members who are making headlines. On our Haute 100 Miami list is Michael Bay, the director behind numerous mega-hit movies and action enthusiast.
Michael Bay
Category: Entertainers
Company: Bay Films
Industry: Film
What Made Him Haute: He is one of Hollywood’s most bankable directors, producing action flicks that put him in the limelight and in the black, with global ticket sales surpassing the $3 billion mark. Bad Boys, Pearl Harbor, and Transformers are among his list of credits, and each film is loaded with his special brand of over-the-top effects. The Hollywood power player uses his home on North Bay Road in Miami Beach as a much-needed sanctuary after the draining filming process. The house itself may be familiar, as it was where the Hogan family lived while filming reality show Hogan Knows Best. Bay’s tasteful updates have allowed the estate to exude elegance, as we discovered during a photo shoot with Bay for the cover of Haute Living Los Angeles.
What Makes Him Haute Now: Just because Michel Bay is making strides all over the film industry doesn’t mean he won’t spread his wings into other endeavors. Recently, Bay teamed up with Top Chef producers Magical Elves to collaborate on a show called One Way Out. Bay describes the show as “a game with no rules,” where contestants vie against each other in various competitions and compromising environments. Most known for his Transformers movies, Bay and his team are currently in production for the third installment, which is set to release in the summer of 2012 and with a few actor replacements. An active writer on his site, michaelbay.com, Bay portrayed his philanthropic efforts by noting his involvement with a Ferrari charity event which raised money for a hospital in Haiti, and he also raised $20,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
