Sam Zell
Overview
- Source of Wealth
- Real estate, private equity
- Industry
- Real Estate
- Residence
- Education
- University of Michigan (Bachelor of Arts/Science)University of Michigan (Doctor of Jurisprudence)
- Children
- 3
Assets
- Allpark Empreendimentos Participacoes e Servicos56,698,371 shares @ --ALPK3-BR
- Elah Holdings9,311 shares @ --ELLH-US
- Equity Commonwealth3,519,000 shares @ --EQC-US
- Equity Distribution Acquisition Corp10,242,000 shares @ --EQD-US
- Equity Distribution Acquisition Corp Warrants6,133,333 shares @ ---
- Equity Lifestyle Properties Inc.8,941,700 shares @ --ELS-US
- Equity Lifestyle Properties Inc.0 shares @ --ELS-US
- Equity Residential Properties4,070,000 shares @ --EQR-US
- Exterran8,157,000 shares @ --EXTN-US
- Par Petroleum5,259,000 shares @ --PARR-US
- Real Industry, Inc.0 shares @ --RELYQ-US
- Wesco International872,828 shares @ --WCC-US
Biography
In 1968, Sam Zell started Equity Group Investments, which today invests in industries like energy, logistics and healthcare.
The forefather of modern real estate investment trusts, Zell chairs five public companies, including one of the nation's largest residential REITs.
His $39 billion sale of office REIT Equity Office to Blackstone just before the market crashed in 2007 was among the largest real estate deals ever.
Around the same time, he led an $8.2 billion buyout of newspaper owner Tribune Company, which quickly went bankrupt.
As a college student Zell managed a 15-unit student apartment building in exchange for a free room. His enterprise was netting $150,000 by graduation.
About
Zell's family escaped Poland by train hours before Hitler's army bombed the tracks that ran through their town. They reached the U.S. by way of Japan in 1941.
His nickname, The Grave Dancer, dates to 1975 when Zell wrote that his success came from reviving 'corpses' left behind by the last real estate crash.