Axel Stawski | $1B+
Get in touch with Axel Stawski | Axel Stawski is an American billionaire real estate developer and founder of Stawski Partners, a New York City–based firm. A Holocaust survivor’s son with a PhD in international law, he has built a portfolio of Manhattan office buildings and luxury condos since 1973, including the notable 565 Fifth Avenue. His low-profile but focused approach continues to shape prime urban real estate.
Join UHNWI direct Affiliate Program
Earn Passive Income by Sharing Verified Contact Information of Billionaires, Centi-Millionaires, and Multi-Millionaires on the UHNWI Direct Platform
Maximize your earnings potential by sharing direct and validated contact information of the ultra-wealthy, including billionaires, centi-millionaires, and multi-millionaires. Join the UHNWI Direct platform and tap into a lucrative passive income stream by providing valuable data to those seeking high-net-worth connections. Start earning today with UHNWI Direct.
You may also be interested in reviewing other UHNWIs profiles.
To find the person you want to contact, start typing their name or other relevant tags in the search bar.
Please note: Our database contains over 10,000 direct contacts of UHNWIs, and it is highly likely that the individual you are seeking is already included. However, creating individual profiles for each contact is a meticulous and time-intensive process, So, if you are unable to find the profile of the individual you are looking for, please click here.
Filter by Net Worth: All | Billionaires | Centi-Millionaires | Multi-Millionaires
Filter by Location: All | USA | Canada | Europe | UK | Russia & CIS | Asia | MEIA | Australia | Latin America
Filter by Age: 1920-1930 | 1930-1940 | 1940-1950 | 1950-1960 | 1960-1970 | 1970-1980 | 1980-1990 | 1990-2000
Related People
Jeff Krasnoff, cofounder and managing principal of Rialto Capital Management, built a major real estate investment and asset management platform focused on distressed debt, commercial mortgages, and opportunistic property strategies. After launching Rialto in the aftermath of the financial crisis, Krasnoff helped grow the firm into a leading investor in complex real estate credit and special situations, working with institutional partners across the United States. Known for disciplined underwriting and large-scale capital deployment in dislocated markets, he has positioned Rialto as a significant player in commercial real estate finance.
Wayne Hughes Jr., chairman of Public Storage, oversees one of the largest self-storage empires in the world, continuing the legacy built by his father, company founder Wayne Hughes. After years in private investing and philanthropy, he assumed a leading role in the publicly traded REIT, guiding strategy across a vast portfolio of storage properties throughout the United States and Europe. Known for low-profile leadership and long-term ownership discipline, Hughes represents a new generation of stewardship within one of the most profitable real estate business models in modern property investing.
Alan Smolinisky is a billionaire entrepreneur, principal at Conquest Housing, and co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He first built his fortune with Conquest Student Housing, which became the largest provider at USC before selling for $205 million in 2008. In 2026, he serves as a director at Jack in the Box, chairing its Capital Allocation Committee following a late 2025 appointment. A dedicated value investor and philanthropist, he has committed 90% of his estate to charity and is a vocal advocate for immigration reform, famously hosting mass naturalization ceremonies at Dodger Stadium. He remains a key figure in sports business, previously partnering with Phil Knight on a $2 billion bid for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Thomas Barrack Jr. is the U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and the Special Envoy for Syria in the second Trump administration, where he serves as a pivotal figure in Middle Eastern diplomacy. A veteran private equity investor and the founder of Colony Capital (now DigitalBridge), Barrack has leveraged his decades of experience in the region to broker historic regional agreements. In early 2026, he played a lead role in integrating the Syrian government into the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and oversaw major infrastructure MoUs, including a milestone gas exploration agreement between Syria and Chevron. His current diplomatic portfolio emphasizes regional security through "shared responsibility," successfully managing the complex transition of territory between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the central government in Damascus.
Steven Roth is the Chairman and CEO of Vornado Realty Trust, NYC’s leading landlord. He is the force behind the multi-billion dollar Penn District revitalization, modernizing sites like PENN 1 and PENN 2. His current strategy includes a pivot toward residential projects, like the 484 Eighth Avenue tower, to address the city's housing needs. As head of Alexander’s and a former federal advisor, Roth co-owns major assets like 1290 Sixth Avenue with Donald Trump. A dedicated philanthropist, he supports Dartmouth and the arts. His legacy is defined by a disciplined approach to urban redevelopment, cementing his role as a key architect of Manhattan’s modern skyline.
Steven Klinsky is the founder and CEO of New Mountain Capital, a private equity firm that manages over $50 billion in assets and focuses on high-growth, non-cyclical businesses. Before founding his firm in 1999, he was a pioneer in the industry at Goldman Sachs and a general partner at Forstmann Little, where he helped develop the strategy of business-building over financial engineering. Klinsky is also a major figure in education reform, having established the Modern States Education Alliance, which provides free college-level courses and credit to hundreds of thousands of students globally.
Stephen Winn is the founder and CEO of Mirasol Capital, an investment firm focused on real estate, technology, and entertainment. He is best known for founding RealPage, a leading provider of property management software, which he led as chairman and CEO for over two decades before selling it to Thoma Bravo for $10.2 billion in 2021. An electrical engineer by training with an MBA from Stanford, Winn has consistently operated at the intersection of data and physical assets. His current ventures include Cosm, an immersive technology firm, and the 1,400-acre Mirasol Springs conservation project in Texas, reflecting a career-long commitment to innovation and land stewardship.
Stefan Soloviev is the chairman of the Soloviev Group, a vast conglomerate that encompasses real estate, agriculture, and transportation. After inheriting the legendary New York City real estate portfolio of his father, Sheldon Solow, Soloviev has significantly diversified the family’s holdings, becoming one of the largest landowners in the United States. His agricultural arm, Crossroads Agriculture, operates millions of acres of farmland and ranchland across the Great Plains, while his investments in the Colorado Pacific Railroad have revitalized critical freight infrastructure. Soloviev’s leadership is defined by a bold, hands-on approach to land stewardship and a strategic expansion into renewable energy and large-scale urban development.
Spence Wilson, Chairman Emeritus of Kemmons Wilson Companies, has spent decades diversifying the legacy established by his father, Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson. Under his stewardship, the Memphis-based firm evolved into an investment empire spanning hospitality, aviation, insurance, and real estate. Wilson was instrumental in the growth of Orange Lake Resorts and remains a critical figure in the vacation ownership industry. His commitment to Memphis is reflected in his long-standing leadership at Rhodes College and Baptist Memorial Health Care. His family’s philanthropy recently established the Spence Wilson Center for Interdisciplinary Humanities, cementing his impact on both the regional economy and the academic landscape.
Ross Perot Jr., businessman and real estate developer, built a major presence in transportation and property development while extending the Perot family legacy beyond technology. As chairman of Hillwood, he expanded the company into one of the most important industrial real estate and logistics developers in the United States, building massive distribution hubs, mixed-use communities, and aviation-linked projects. Perot also played a pioneering role in global aviation as part of the first circumnavigation of the world by helicopter. Known for long-term infrastructure vision and disciplined execution, he remains a central figure in modern logistics real estate and Dallas business leadership.
Bob Parsons, founder of GoDaddy, built one of the most recognizable internet services companies by making domain registration and small-business web tools simple, affordable, and mass-market. A former U.S. Marine and serial entrepreneur, Parsons grew GoDaddy through bold branding and aggressive customer acquisition, turning it into a dominant platform for entrepreneurs launching online businesses. After exiting GoDaddy, he expanded his business interests through YAM Worldwide, investing in real estate, golf, motorcycles, and hospitality, including the PXG golf brand. Parsons is also a major philanthropist supporting veterans, healthcare, and community development.
Robert Clark, founder and CEO of Clayco, built one of America’s leading privately held design-build and construction management firms by focusing on speed, engineering precision, and large-scale execution for blue-chip clients. Since founding Clayco in 1994, Clark expanded the company into a national powerhouse delivering industrial, logistics, data center, healthcare, and commercial projects across the U.S. Known for entrepreneurial intensity and operational discipline, he positioned Clayco as a preferred partner for complex, time-sensitive developments in the modern economy.
Rick Caruso, founder and CEO of Caruso Affiliated, is one of America’s most prominent real estate developers, best known for building ultra-premium retail and mixed-use destinations that blend luxury, design, and community experience. A former attorney and civic leader, Caruso developed landmark projects in Southern California such as The Grove, Americana at Brand, and Palisades Village, redefining high-end experiential retail at a time when traditional malls declined. Known for meticulous attention to detail, brand curation, and long-term asset quality, he has built a real estate empire centered on place-making. Caruso has also become a high-profile public figure through philanthropy and political involvement in Los Angeles.
Richard Peery, founder of the Peery family real estate enterprise, built one of Silicon Valley’s most influential commercial property portfolios by specializing in high-quality office and industrial developments in Northern California. Known for acquiring and developing strategic assets near the world’s leading technology corridors, Peery helped shape the physical infrastructure that supported the region’s growth for decades. Operating with a low public profile, he expanded through long-term ownership, disciplined management, and a deep understanding of location-driven value. Peery is also recognized for philanthropy supporting education, community development, and civic initiatives.
Richard LeFrak, chairman and CEO of LeFrak Organization, leads one of America’s most enduring real estate dynasties, overseeing a vast portfolio of residential, commercial, and mixed-use assets. Building on the legacy of his father Samuel LeFrak, he expanded the family’s holdings across New York, New Jersey, and Florida, including landmark developments such as Newport in Jersey City. Known for long-term ownership, disciplined capital deployment, and large-scale urban development, LeFrak has shaped major waterfront and city-center projects while maintaining the firm as a privately held powerhouse.
Richard Kurtz, founder and chairman of Kamson Corporation, built a major privately held real estate company specializing in multifamily and mixed-use properties across the Northeastern United States. Starting with a focus on apartment ownership and management, Kurtz grew Kamson through disciplined acquisitions, property repositioning, and long-term operational control, creating a large portfolio spanning residential communities and commercial assets. Known for quiet execution and a patient, cash-flow-driven strategy, he has maintained Kamson as a durable family-led platform through multiple real estate cycles.
Richard Barton, serial entrepreneur and cofounder of Zillow and Expedia, has repeatedly built category-defining consumer internet companies by applying transparency, data, and user-first design to opaque markets. After helping launch Expedia inside Microsoft, Barton went on to cofound Zillow, reshaping real estate search through pricing data and digital discovery tools, and later founded Glassdoor to bring similar transparency to the labor market. Known for a consistent “power to the people” philosophy, Barton has influenced how millions make decisions about homes, jobs, and travel.
Raymond J. Harbert, founder and CEO of Harbert Management Corporation, built a major alternative investment platform spanning private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and credit. After starting his career in banking and leveraged finance, Harbert founded his firm in 1993 and grew it into a global manager serving institutions and high-net-worth investors with long-term, diversified strategies. Known for disciplined capital allocation and a conservative, steady approach across market cycles, Harbert has also become a prominent philanthropist supporting education, medical research, and civic initiatives, particularly in the American South.
Purnendu Chatterjee, founder and chairman of The Chatterjee Group, built a diversified global investment firm by taking concentrated, long-term positions in industrial, chemical, consumer, and infrastructure businesses. A former partner at Soros Fund Management, Chatterjee applies activist discipline and operational focus to complex situations, often partnering closely with management to drive strategic change. His portfolio has included significant stakes across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, reflecting a patient, hands-on approach to value creation.
Philip Milstein, founder and CEO of Ogden CAP Properties, built a major New York–based real estate investment platform focused on value-oriented acquisitions across office, residential, and mixed-use properties. After early experience in property development and asset management, Milstein expanded Ogden CAP by targeting complex, underperforming assets and repositioning them through active management and long-term capital discipline. Known for a hands-on approach and deep market knowledge, he has assembled a sizable portfolio while maintaining a low public profile. Milstein’s career reflects patient investing and contrarian thinking within urban real estate markets.
Peter Thiel, cofounder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies, is one of Silicon Valley’s most influential and contrarian thinkers, known for backing companies that challenge consensus and reshape entire industries. As an early investor in Facebook and the first outside investor in several category-defining startups, Thiel helped popularize a philosophy centered on building monopolies through deep technology rather than incremental competition. Through Founders Fund, he has backed transformative ventures across software, defense, biotech, and space. Thiel’s impact extends beyond investing into ideas, shaping debates around technology, globalization, and the future of innovation.
Paul Saville, longtime executive and vice chairman of NVR, is one of the key architects behind one of the most consistently profitable homebuilders in the United States. As a senior partner of investor David A. Tepper in NVR’s early years, Saville helped shape the company’s distinctive, asset-light business model, emphasizing land optioning, strict cost controls, and disciplined capital allocation. This approach allowed NVR to outperform peers across housing cycles while maintaining high returns on equity and a strong balance sheet. Saville’s influence reflects a rare blend of financial rigor and operational restraint in a cyclical industry.
Patrick Zalupski, founder and CEO of Dream Finders Homes, built one of the fastest-growing homebuilders in the United States by focusing on asset-light land strategies and disciplined capital allocation. After founding the company in 2008, Zalupski emphasized lot optioning, regional market expertise, and operational efficiency, allowing Dream Finders to scale rapidly while maintaining strong margins. The company went public in 2021, cementing its position as a major player in residential construction across high-growth Sun Belt markets. Zalupski’s approach blends entrepreneurial speed with conservative balance-sheet management in a cyclical industry.
Nicolas Berggruen, investor and philanthropist, built a global reputation as a contrarian thinker blending capital, policy, and long-term societal vision. Founder of Berggruen Holdings and the Berggruen Institute, he has invested across real estate, finance, and special situations while championing ideas around governance reform, technology, and globalization. Known for his unconventional lifestyle and intellectual focus, Berggruen has positioned himself less as a traditional financier and more as a patron of cross-disciplinary thought, convening global leaders to address structural challenges facing modern societies.
Neil Kadisha, cofounder of Omninet and a pioneering telecommunications entrepreneur, played a central role in building the early global internet backbone during the 1990s. Through Omninet, he helped deploy one of the world’s first international fiber-optic networks, enabling high-capacity data transmission across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East at a critical moment in internet expansion. After exiting the business, Kadisha shifted his focus to philanthropy and impact investing, supporting initiatives in health, education, conflict resolution, and peace-building through the Kadisha Family Foundation. His career bridges foundational internet infrastructure and long-term global social impact.
Neil Bluhm, real estate developer and casino magnate, built a diversified empire spanning luxury hotels, gaming, and urban real estate through long-term vision and disciplined capital deployment. As cofounder of JMB Realty, he helped shape landmark developments across major U.S. cities before expanding aggressively into gaming as a principal owner of Rush Street Gaming and Rush Street Interactive. Bluhm is also a major civic philanthropist, supporting education, healthcare, and cultural institutions in Chicago and beyond, blending large-scale commercial development with sustained community investment.
Mortimer Zuckerman, real estate magnate, media executive, and investor, built a multifaceted career spanning property development, publishing, and public policy influence. As longtime chairman and CEO of Boston Properties, he helped create one of the largest publicly traded office real estate investment trusts in the United States, shaping skylines in New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C. In parallel, Zuckerman became a prominent media figure as owner and editor-in-chief of U.S. News & World Report and publisher of the New York Daily News, using his platforms to weigh in on economics, foreign policy, and urban affairs. His career reflects a rare blend of large-scale real estate execution and national media influence.
Miguel McKelvey, cofounder and former chief culture officer of WeWork, is the design-driven entrepreneur who helped redefine how a generation thinks about workspaces. Partnering with Adam Neumann, McKelvey translated architectural training and brand intuition into a global coworking phenomenon, shaping WeWork’s distinctive aesthetic, community ethos, and rapid international expansion. After stepping back from day-to-day operations, he has focused on new ventures at the intersection of design, culture, and entrepreneurship, continuing to influence how physical spaces support creativity, collaboration, and modern work.
Martin Selig, founder and chairman of Martin Selig Real Estate, is one of Seattle’s most prominent commercial real estate developers, having shaped much of the city’s modern office landscape. Beginning in the 1970s, Selig built a vast portfolio of downtown office towers and mixed-use properties, often taking a contrarian approach by developing during market downturns and holding assets long term. Known for his bold architecture, aggressive expansion, and willingness to challenge conventional real estate cycles, Selig became a defining figure in Pacific Northwest commercial property. His career reflects decades of high-conviction development and enduring influence on Seattle’s urban core.
Lowell Milken, cofounder of Knowledge Universe and a longtime leader in education reform and philanthropy, has built a wide-ranging career focused on improving teaching quality and expanding access to effective learning models. After an early career in law and finance, he helped develop Knowledge Universe into one of the world’s largest private education companies, spanning early childhood learning, professional development, and technology-enabled instruction. As chairman of the Milken Family Foundation, he has created nationally recognized programs such as the Milken Educator Awards and TAP: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement. Known for his strategic vision and commitment to education innovation, Milken is a defining figure in modern philanthropic efforts to strengthen America’s schools.
