Casey Wasserman

There isn’t an undertaking of any kind in Southern California that compares to the task Casey Wasserman leads as chair of LA28, the organizing committee for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Wasserman calls it “the largest peacetime gathering in the history of the world” and “the operational equivalent of seven Super Bowls a day for 30 days.” And, considering the significance of a beloved global event that brings the world together, it makes sense why the region’s focus is already looking beyond other landmark events it has on the calendar and gazing down the road to summer 2028.

Wasserman has become the face of the massive effort to bring the 88 cities in L.A. County together for the event that is anticipated to bring some 15 million visitors to Southern California. Granted, from a venue standpoint, Greater L.A. is perhaps the best-suited region in America to host the Olympics, with an embarrassment of riches in iconic sites already in place.

Thanks to this head start, L.A. won’t need to build major facilities. Equally important, organizers say no public funds will be used for the $7 billion event. Wasserman has already lined up billions in sponsorships — boasting that LA28 had secured more revenue by 2024 than Paris did for its 2024 Games. 

Wasserman has also coordinated around unprecedented political hurdles, from L.A. City Hall to the County Board of Supervisors, and from the International Olympic Committee to the White House. And it’s proved fruitful: Wasserman successfully converted President Donald Trump into an “incredibly supportive and helpful” ally, who recently allocated $1 billion and established a task force for security and infrastructure.

L.A.’s notorious traffic and limited public transit pose one of the biggest challenges, so organizers are pushing to expand rail lines fast. And the county will deploy 5,000 shuttle buses to connect far-flung venues

Hosting the 2028 Olympics will be a generationally defining moment for a region that calls itself the world’s entertainment capital. Pulling it off would dramatically boost L.A.’s global reputation for years after the closing ceremonies. With his influence and vision, Wasserman is ensuring Los Angeles shines on the world stage.