Famous Real Estate Developers

Donald John Trump was born June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York. He left a mark on business and politics. He was the fourth of five children of Frederick C. and Mary MacLeod Trump. His early exposure to real estate development came through his father's company, Elizabeth Trump & Son. He developed his entrepreneurial path by gaining rigorous education and hands-on business experience. Trump took control of his father's company to start his entrepreneurial journey.

Donald Leroy Bren was born May 11, 1932. He is an American businessman and the chairman and sole owner of the Irvine Company, a US real estate investment company. His net worth is approximately $16.3 billion. He ranked number 30 on the 2018 Forbes 400 list.

Stephen M. Ross was born May 10, 1940. He is an American real estate developer, philanthropist, and sports team owner. Ross founded The Related Companies in 1972, where he serves as chairman and majority owner. Related developed the Time Warner Center, where Ross lives and works, and the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project. In 2013, Forbes listed Ross with a net worth of $4.4 billion. He also owns the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium. His net worth grew to $7.7 billion in 2019.

John Ellis "Jeb" Bush was born February 11, 1953. He is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. Bush grew up in Houston and is the second son of George H. W. Bush and Barbara Bush. He was also the younger brother of George W. Bush. He attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and earned a degree in Latin American affairs from the University of Texas. In 1980, he moved to Florida and pursued a career in real estate development; he became Florida's Secretary of Commerce in 1986.

Sheldon Gary Adelson was born August 4, 1933. He is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and political donor. Adelson founded, chaired, and served as CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corporation. This company owns the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. It is also the parent company for Venetian Macao Limited, which operates The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino and the Sands Expo and Convention Center. Adelson owns the Israeli daily newspaper Israel Hayom and the American daily newspaper Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Paul Allen was a producer for "Step" and "Racing Extinction." He received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 2004 for "The Blues."

Lee Shau-kee GBM (Chinese: 李兆基) was born March 7, 1929, in Shunde, Guangdong, China. He is a Hong Kong real estate tycoon and majority owner of Henderson Land Development, which holds property, hotel, restaurant, and internet services. In 2019, at age 91, Lee stepped down as chairman and managing director for his two sons, Peter and Martin Lee. He still serves as an executive director. His personal wealth is estimated to be $31.5 billion, making him the second wealthiest man in Hong Kong and the 27th richest globally.

Howard Hughes was born December 24, 1905, in Houston, Texas. He was the son of a successful inventor and grew up amid industry innovation and affluence. This background led to his grand endeavors. As a gifted student, he dropped out of Rice University at age 18 to inherit his family's fortune after his parents’ death. His career became defined by huge achievements and controversy.

Eli Broad was born June 6, 1933. He is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist. Broad created two Fortune 500 companies in different industries: KB Home and SunAmerica. In June 2019, Forbes ranked him the 233rd wealthiest person globally and the 78th wealthiest in the United States, with a net worth of $6.7 billion. Broad committed his philanthropy to public K-12 education, medical research, and the visual and performing arts.

Enos Stanley Kroenke was born July 29, 1947. He is an American businessman and entrepreneur. He owns Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, the holding company for several sports franchises. This includes English Premier League football club Arsenal, the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL, Denver Nuggets of the NBA, Colorado Avalanche of the NHL, Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer, Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League, and the Los Angeles Gladiators of the Overwatch League. His wife, Ann Walton Kroenke, currently owns the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche franchises for NFL ownership.

Robert Durst was an American actor. He appeared in the film "The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst."

Mary Elizabeth Anderson lived from February 19, 1866, to June 27, 1953. She was an American real estate developer, rancher, viticulturist, and inventor of the windshield wiper blade. On November 10, 1903, Anderson received her first patent for an automatic car window cleaning device called the windshield wiper.

Leona Mindy Roberts Helmsley (July 4, 1920 – August 20, 2007) was an American businesswoman. She earned the nickname Queen of Mean due to her flamboyant personality and tyrannical behavior. In 1989, she was convicted of federal income tax evasion and other crimes after facing allegations of non-payment from contractors working on her Connecticut home. Although she initially received a sixteen-year sentence, she served only nineteen months in prison and two months under house arrest.

Larry A. Silverstein, born May 30, 1931, is an American businessman. He developed the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in lower Manhattan and one of New York's tallest residential towers at 30 Park Place where he owns a home. As of 2016, his worth was estimated at $3.5 billion. Silverstein was born in Brooklyn and became involved in real estate with his father, establishing Silverstein Properties. He separated from business partner Bernard Mendik in 1977 and bought many large office buildings in Midtown.

Abbot Kinney (1850 in New Brunswick, New Jersey – 1920 in Santa Monica, California) was a developer and conservationist. He is best known for the "Venice of America" development in Los Angeles.

Bob Kraft is an actor. He appeared in films like "The Last O.G.," and "Arli$$."

Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel (born May 13, 1930 – June 26, 2021) was an American politician. He served as a United States Senator from Alaska from 1969 to 1981 and was a member of the Democratic Party. Gravel ran for the presidential nomination in 2008 and 2020. Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, by French-Canadian immigrant parents, Gravel moved to Alaska in the late 1950s, where he became a real estate developer and entered politics. He served in the Alaska House of Representatives from 1963 to 1967 and became Speaker of the Alaska House.

Gordon Muir Campbell, born January 12, 1948, is a retired Canadian diplomat and politician. He served as the 35th mayor of Vancouver from 1986 to 1993 and the 34th premier of British Columbia from 2001 to 2011. Campbell led the British Columbia Liberal Party from 1993 to 2011. From 2011 to 2016, he served as Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Canada's representative to the Ismaili Imamat from 2014 to 2016.

Jonathan Knight achieved global superstardom as a member of the New Kids on the Block, one of the most popular teen idol acts. The boy band earned hundreds of millions of dollars by selling out arenas and merchandise. They scored chart hits like "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)", "Hangin' Tough," and "Step by Step." Other hits included "Please Don't Go Girl" and "You Got It (The Right Stuff)." This pop culture era defined the childhoods of many.

Frederick Christ Trump (October 11, 1905 – June 25, 1999) was an American real-estate developer in New York City. He is the father of Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States, and Maryanne Trump Barry, a former United States Court of Appeals judge. Working with his mother Elizabeth Christ Trump, he started a career in home construction and sales. The development company was incorporated as E. Trump & Son in 1927. It built and managed single-family houses and barracks and garden apartments for U.S. Navy personnel near East Coast shipyards.

Robert Sarver (born 1961) is an American businessman. He co-founded Southwest Value Partners, a real estate development company. He also owns the Phoenix Suns and RCD Mallorca.

André Tomes Balazs (born January 31, 1957) is the president and CEO of André Balazs Properties. This portfolio includes hotels across the United States and residences in New York City.

William Jaird Levitt (February 11, 1907 – January 28, 1994) was an American real-estate developer from Brooklyn, New York City. As president of Levitt & Sons, he is credited as the father of modern American suburbia. He was named one of Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century."

Carl Pasquale Paladino (born August 24, 1946) is an American businessman and political activist. He founded the real estate development company Ellicott Development Co. in 1973. Paladino ran for Governor of New York in 2010. He upset Rick Lazio in the Republican primary but lost to Democrat Andrew Cuomo in the general election by a landslide (63%-33%). The Tea Party movement and Western New York residents supported his candidacy. Paladino was also elected to the South Buffalo seat on the Buffalo School Board in 2013.

Imogen Mary Thomas is a Welsh model and television personality. She won the Miss Wales award in 2003 and appeared on the seventh series of Channel 4's Big Brother in 2006. In 2011, her alleged extramarital relationship with footballer Ryan Giggs led to a gagging order in the UK.

Sarah Lucinda Beeny, born January 9, 1972, is an English broadcaster and entrepreneur. She is one of the most regarded voices in the property industry. Beeny presents UK property shows, including Property Ladder, Property Snakes and Ladders, Streets Ahead, Britain's Best Homes, Help! My House is Falling Down, Beeny's Restoration Nightmare, Double Your House for Half the Money, Sarah Beeny's Selling Houses, How to Live Mortgage Free, and Renovate Don't Relocate. Her direct approach inspired generations and created a loyal global fan base.

Charles S. Cohen produced "Kill the Jockey," "Merchant Ivory," and "The Insult."

Alan Mruvka, born in 1958 in the Bronx, New York, is an American entertainment and media entrepreneur, film producer, and screenwriter. He created and co-founded Movietime Channel, which became E! Entertainment television. He holds the titles Founder, President, and CEO of 'The Alan Mruvka Company', and he is a New Jersey real estate developer.

Harshavardhan Neotia is the current chairman of the Ambuja Neotia Group, a corporate house based in Kolkata. He co-owns Atletico de Kolkata, an Indian Super League football team with Sourav Ganguly, Atletico Madrid, Sanjeev Goenka, Santosh Shaw, and Utsav Pa rekh.

Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. was born August 14, 1959, in Lansing, Michigan. He is an iconic figure in basketball, known for his professional career and successful entrepreneurial ventures. His father worked at General Motors and as a school janitor. Johnson pursued basketball early on, becoming one of the sport's most celebrated athletes. His journey started at Everett High School before he gained national attention at Michigan State University. He led the Spartans to

Steven Roth is the husband of Daryl Roth.

Robert Nelson Fite (born October 22, 1968) is an American former film and television actor. Beginning his professional career as a child actor and model at the age of six, Fite is perhaps best known for his recurring role as J.T. Martin on the NBC comedy series Silver Spoons, as well as for his feature film roles in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, The Legend of Billie Jean, and Explorers.

Robert Beall Tudor, Jr., known as Buddy Tudor, was an American real estate developer. Based in Pineville, Louisiana, whose family-owned Tudor Construction Company and Tudor Enterprises together surpassed a billion dollars in development. An active member of the Baptist Church, Tudor was also a contributor to the Louisiana Republican Party and a personal friend of David C. Treen, Louisiana's first GOP U.S. representative and governor since Reconstruction.

Hugh Geoffroy Millais (23 December 1929 – 4 July 2009) was a British author and actor known for his film collaborations with director Robert Altman.

Antoin "Tony" Rezko (born 1955) is an American businessman. He was a fundraiser for Illinois Democratic and Republican politicians. After becoming a major contributor to Rod Blagojevich's successful gubernatorial election, Rezko assisted Blagojevich in setting up the state's first Democratic administration in twenty years and as a result he was able to have business associates appointed onto several state boards. Rezko and several others were indicted on federal charges in October 2006 for using their connections on the state boards to demand kickbacks from businesses that wished to engage in

John Nash was a British architect responsible for much of the layout of Regency London under the patronage of the Prince Regent, and during his reign as George IV. Nash was also a pioneer in the use of the Picturesque in architecture. His best-known buildings are the Royal Pavilion, Brighton, and Buckingham Palace.

James Kent "Jimmy" Leeward was an American air racer, owner of the Leeward Air Ranch in Ocala, Florida, and the pilot of the heavily modified North American P-51 Mustang racing aircraft, The Galloping Ghost. He died at the 2011 Reno Air Races in a crash that also killed 10 others; an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board blamed Leeward for "'operating at the edge of the envelope' without fully reporting and testing modifications to his plane."

Francisco Raul "Quico" Canseco (born July 30, 1949) is an attorney, businessman and former U.S. Representative for Texas's 23rd congressional district. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Jesse L. Boucher was a north Louisiana insurance agency owner and large-scale real estate developer who also served from 1958 to 1962 as the mayor of his native Springhill in northern Webster Parish.

Elie Hirschfeld (born December 25, 1949) is an American real estate developer, theatrical producer, philanthropist and art collector based in New York City. He is the son of the late real estate mogul Abraham Hirschfeld.

Alexander Gus Spanos (September 28, 1923 – October 9, 2018) was an American billionaire real estate developer, founder of the A. G. Spanos Companies, and the majority owner of the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL).

Samuel Michael "Sam" Katz, (born August 20, 1951) is a former politician and was the 42nd mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is also a businessperson and a member of the Order of Manitoba.

David Joshua Azrieli, CM CQ was a Canadian-Israeli real estate tycoon, developer, designer, architect, and philanthropist. With an estimated net worth of $US 3.1 billion, Azrieli was ranked by Forbes as the 9th wealthiest Canadian and 401st in the world.

Edward John DeBartolo Sr. (May 17, 1909 – December 19, 1994) was an American businessman. In 1971, his Ohio-based corporation was ranked as 47th among the nation's top 400 construction contractors. In 1983, DeBartolo was included on Forbes magazine's first Forbes 400 list of richest Americans.

Notable real estate developer from Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Thomas Burton "Tom" Adams Jr. (March 11, 1917 – May 22, 2006) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Florida. A Democrat, he served in the Florida Senate (1956–1960), as Secretary of State of Florida (1961–1971), and as the tenth Lieutenant Governor of Florida (1971–1975).

Mariano Zuniega Velarde, known as Brother Mike Velarde, founded El Shaddai, a Catholic charismatic movement in the Philippines. The movement estimates three to seven million followers. He is the most recognized televangelist in the Philippines. He also owns Amvel Land Development Corporation and Delta Broadcasting System.

Harry Joe Brown Jr. worked as an actor and screenwriter.

William Sumio Naito lived from September 16, 1925, to May 8, 1996. He was a businessman, civic leader, and philanthropist in Portland, Oregon. He promoted investment in downtown Portland by acquiring and renovating old buildings during the 1970s. He was also a leading business and civic figure in the 1980s and 1990s, receiving numerous awards.