RIP — Sam Zell

[Xerxes]

Sam Zell, billionaire real estate investor, dies 

PUBLISHED THU, MAY 18 202311:21 AM EDTUPDATED AN HOUR AGO

 

Sam Zell, chairman of Equity Group Investments.

Adam Jeffery | CNBC 

Sam Zell, a Chicago real estate magnate who earned a multibillion-dollar fortune and a reputation as “the grave dancer” for his ability to revive moribund properties has died due to complications from a recent illness. He was 81.

Bearded and blunt-spoken, Zell reveled in bucking traditional wisdom. He had a golden touch with real estate, and got his start managing apartment buildings as a college student. By the time he reached his 70s, he had amassed a fortune estimated at $3.8 billion.

 

 

[Xerxes]

“Sam Zell was a self-made, visionary entrepreneur. He launched and grew hundreds of companies during his 60-plus-year career and created countless jobs. Although his investments spanned industries across the globe, he was most widely recognized for his critical role in creating the modern real estate investment trust, which today is a more than $4 trillion industry,” Equity Group Investments said in a written statement on Thursday.

Zell died at home, the company said.

Zell is survived by his wife, Helen; his sister Julie Baskes and her husband, Roger Baskes; his sister Leah Zell; his three children, Kellie Zell and son-in-law Scott Peppet, Matthew Zell, and JoAnn Zell; and his nine grandchildren.

[Spekulatius]

Zell sounded like he would just going to get started in the last podcasts.

I do wonder if he is dancing in his grave now.

[CorpRaider]

RIP Sam

[changegonnacome]

Always enjoyed Sam's take.......there was clarity to his thinking that marked him out.......and like @Spekulatius said i listened to a couple of recent interviews and if it wasn't for the wrinkled face and gravelled voice.....he sounded like a guy with a 40yr plan. I'll miss getting his comtempuournous take on things.

[Ulti]

posted under "death" thread .... actually a very good interview

[Saluki]

I saw him a podcast a few days ago.  Sad to hear he passed.  I really enjoyed his book and I always appreciate seeing a lawyer who did something besides work at a law firm and made it big.  Norm Brodsky is another person who graduated law school and instantly realized that this law thing is for the birds, and looked at the clients with the nice suits and big houses and said "hey! how do I do what you guys are doing?" 

 

He was involved in some other things besides real estate, like manufacturing, and did well in pretty much everything he got involved with except when he bought a newspaper. It reminds me of that Buffett quote about when a great manager gets involved with a terrible business, it's usually the reputation of the business that remains intact. There's a YouTube video out there of him responding to a rude Tribune employee at an all hands meeting with the F bomb.  

 

He was everyone's wise grumpy uncle.  RIP Sam 

[LC]

Wow- a true legend passed. RIP

[Parsad]

Brilliant guy!  Great real estate investor.  Cheers!

[dcollon]

He will be missed for sure.  I would highly recommend his book. 

[cubsfan]

Sam was quite the guy here in Chicago. Told it like it is...never knew he was a lawyer. He was a real down to earth guy.

[Saluki]

Sam giving his opinion on a Congressman: 

Sam telling off a journalist who talked down to him:

Sam giving his opinion on an empty suit executive: 

 

Edited May 18, 2023 by Saluki

[Spooky]

Rest in peace Sam. Always enjoyed listening to him. The Capital Allocators podcast with him was great: http://sites.libsyn.com/94820/sam-zell-common-sense-and-uncommon-profits-capital-allocators-ep253

[fareastwarriors]

Felt like he was always a straight shooter, no bs kinda guy. 

We need more of his type in the world. 

 

RIP

Edited May 19, 2023 by fareastwarriors

[Morgan]

Rest In Peace. What a legend. 

[crs223]

What a shame that all that knowledge just disappears.

 

Same with people retiring… brains just fill up with so much experience and then poof they are gone.

 

Thank you for being a great teacher Sam!

[Ulti]

https://25iq.com/2015/08/09/a-dozen-things-ive-learned-from-sam-zell-about-investing-and-business-3/