Famous American Real Estate Entrepreneurs

Christina Anstead is a real estate investor and TV personality, who  is best known for starring in HGTV's show Flip or Flop. She once ran a real estate agency with her ex-husband, Tarek. Following their divorce, she married English TV presenter Ant Anstead. Currently, she hosts her own HGTV show Christina on the Coast.

Charles Kushner is a former attorney. He was sentenced to two years prison after he was convicted of tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions, and witness tampering in 2005. The father of Ivanka Trump's husband Jared Kushner, Charles Kushner received a federal pardon by Donald Trump in 2020. A real estate developer, Kushner is credited with founding Kushner Companies LLC.

Married to Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner is a senior advisor to his father-in-law and US President, Donald Trump. This has led to concerns about nepotism and conflicts of interest. His proximity with Russian officials came under scrutiny during a federal investigation regarding Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections. Jared Kushner is also an investor, real estate developer and newspaper publisher.

Paul Pelosi is an American businessman. Pelosi owns and operates a venture capital investment and real estate firm called Financial Leasing Services, Inc., through which he has amassed a fortune of $114 million. He also sits on many corporate and philanthropic boards. He is married to Nancy Pelosi, the current U.S. House speaker.

Credited with co-creating the concept of boutique hotels, Ian Schrager began his career with law before partnering with Steve Rubell to run nightclubs, quickly opening Studio 54 and then turning to hotel business to open first boutique lifestyle hotel, Morgans. Later he went on his own to launch Ian Schrager Company, promoting the Public and then Edition brands of hotels.

Apart from being a successful real-estate magnate, Alex Spanos also owned a majority stake in the NFL team San Diego Chargers, later Los Angeles Chargers. The owner of reality major AG Spanos, he battled dementia in his later years and even penned a letter about his struggle, which was later published.

Owner of the New York Mets till October 2020, Fred Wilpon began his career as a real estate developer before acquiring 1% stake in the Mets, becoming its President and CEO in 1980. Continuing to increase his stake, he eventually became the full owner in 2002, serving as its Chairman of the Board until he sold his share in 2020.  

Initially part of his uncle’s lumber business, Jesse H. Jones later opened his own lumberyard and gradually built an empire in banking, construction, and real-estate. A prominent Democratic Party supporter, he had also served as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and was associated with the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.