Thomas J. Barrack Jr.
| Thomas J. Barrack Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California University of San Diego School of Law, |
| Occupation | Private equity real estate investor |
| Known for | Founder of Colony Capital |
Thomas J. Barrack Jr. is an American private equity real estate investor and the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Colony Capital, headquartered in Los Angeles, California.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Early life
His grandparents immigrated to the United States from Lebanon.[7] He graduated with a BA in 1969 from the University of Southern California where he was a star on their national championship Rugby Team. Attended USC and USD law schools receiving a JD in 1972 and he was an editor of the Law Review.[2][7][8]
Career
His first job was at the law firm of Herbert W. Kalmbach, President Richard Nixon's personal lawyer.[3] He then worked in Saudi Arabia for the Fluor Corporation.[3] He then learned Arabic and worked for Saudi princes. Shortly after, he helped open diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Haiti, then ruled by Jean-Claude Duvalier, at the request of investor Lonnie Dunn.[3]
He served as Deputy Undersecretary of the United States Department of the Interior under James G. Watt in the Reagan administration.[2][5]
He was later a principal with the Robert M. Bass Group.[2][4][5] In 1990, he founded Colony Capital, and received initial investment from Bass and GE Capital, and later from Eli Broad, Merrill Lynch, and Koo Chen-fu.[3] He has invested some $200 million in Middle East real estate, $534 million in non-performing German real estate loans, and a $24 million loan to photographer Annie Leibovitz.[7] He also owns the Neverland Ranch.[7] Through Colony Capital, he runs a $25 billion portfolio of assets, from the Fairmont Raffles Hotels International hotel chain in Asia, the Aga Khan's former resort in Sardinia, Resorts International Holdings, One&Only Resorts, Atlantis, etc.[3]
He is currently a Trustee at the University of Southern California.[9] He has also served on the Board of Directors of Accor, Kerner, First Republic Bank, Continental Airlines, Korea First Bank, and Megaworld Properties & Holdings.[5][10][11] Additionally, French president Nicolas Sarkozy awarded him France's Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur.[2]
Political activity
Barrack endorsed Donald Trump for President of the United States in 2016.[12] He is a major fundraiser for Trump's campaign.[13]
Personal life
As of September 2011, he is the 833rd richest person in the world, and the 375th richest in the United States, with an estimated wealth of US$1.1. billion.[7] He flies a Gulfstream V and lives on a 1,200-acre mountain ranch near Santa Barbara, California.[3][7] In the summer, he lives in a castle in the South of France.[3] He has five children.[3][7][14] His hobbies include surfing and polo. He is a member of the Catholic Church.[14]
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Shawn Tully, 'I'm Tom Barrack and I'm getting out', on CNN, October 31, 2005
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Benjamin Wallace, 'Monetizing the Celebrity Meltdown', in New York Magazine, Nov 28, 2010
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
