Sam Zell
Sam Zell was a global, industry-agnostic entrepreneur and investor. He had a long track record of turning around troubled companies and assets, leading industry consolidations, and bringing companies to the public markets. His investments included logistics, healthcare, manufacturing, energy, and real estate.
Fifty years of building and leading
Sam was the Chairman of Equity Group Investments, the private investment firm he founded more than 50 years ago. He also chaired five companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange: Equity Residential, an apartment REIT; Equity LifeStyle Properties, a manufactured home community and resort REIT; Equity Commonwealth, an office REIT; Covanta Holding Corporation, an international owner/operator of energy-from-waste and power generation facilities; and Equity Distribution Acquisition Corp, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) targeting opportunities to apply technological advancement within the industrial industry.
Sam had also founded and chaired Equity Office Properties Trust, the largest office REIT until its 2007 sale for $39 billion in the largest leveraged buyout at the time. In addition, he had introduced the first Brazilian and Mexican real estate companies, respectively, to the New York Stock Exchange through Equity International, a second private investment firm he founded to focus on real estate-related businesses in emerging markets.
“It just never occurred to me that I couldn’t do it. If you’re not aware that you’re not supposed to be able to do something, the barriers to doing it are dramatically lessened.”
Investing in people
Sam was an active philanthropist with a focus on entrepreneurial education. Through the Zell Family Foundation, he had led the sponsorship of several leading entrepreneurship programs, including: the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business; the Zell Fellows Program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management; and the Zell Entrepreneurship Program at Reichman University. The Zell Global Entrepreneurship Network (ZGEN) unites the students and alumni of these programs and actively provides them with connections, opportunities, mentorship, and support. Sam also sponsored the Samuel Zell and Robert Lurie Real Estate Center at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He held a JD and a BA from the University of Michigan.
In 2017 Sam was recognized by Forbes as one of the 100 Greatest Living Business Minds. That same year he debuted his book, “Am I Being Too Subtle?” (Penguin Random House), sharing the fundamentals and philosophies that made him a self-made billionaire.
The Zell community mourns the loss of Sam Zell, a visionary leader whose passing marks a profound loss for entrepreneurial communities everywhere. His dedication and leadership have left an indelible impact, and his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of entrepreneurs.