Ben Ashkenazy

Ben Ashkenazy bought his first building at age 17, after he went to a Bronx shopping center to check out a site to open a fast food restaurant.

Then a recent high school grad, Ashkenazy realized the lease offered was below market value and decided to find a lender and buy the property instead.

Since then he's built a portfolio of stakes in more than 100 buildings via real estate firm Ashkenazy Acquisitions, which he founded and runs as CEO.

The company owns historical landmarks like Washington D.C.'s Union Station and Boston's Faneuil Hall.

Ashkenazy, who primarily invests in retail properties, is also a minority owner in New York's famed Plaza Hotel.