Applause CEO Solomon Dies

Robert G. Solomon, chairman and CEO of Applause LLC died Friday, August 20 from a self-inflicted gun shot wound to the head.

Solomon, 50, was discovered in his Woodland Hills home still barely alive, but was pronounced dead at Northridge Hospital at 6:19 p.m.

Solomon was the sole owner of Applause, buying it out of bankruptcy in 2001, and securing major licenses with Disney, Nickelodeon, and Warner Brothers. Applause established a strong reputation in plush, creating products for “Finding Nemo,” “The Simpsons,” “The Cat in the Hat,” and other well known character licenses.

Solomon told TDmonthly Magazine in June of this year, "I´m a gift company. My products are bought and sold and given as an expression of love or sentiment."

The company was suffering through financial stress and lost its major licenses, finally severing a 22-year old licensing partnership with the Walt Disney Company in June. Plans to relocate offices from the Woodland Hills Headquarters to a West Los Angeles location were to take place at the end of the month.

“The company is going through major reorganization right now,” said a spokesperson for Applause, but the company has yet to release a formal statement.

Solomon leaves behind two daughters and a son.