Barry Sternlicht

Barry Sternlicht is a real estate developer and founder of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide . He has been named the King of Hotels, creating such flagship brands like the "W" brand that have been mimicked by competitors. Sternlicht transformed a small investment firm into one of Wall Street's hottest stocks by making extraordinary real estate deals in markets others overlooked, and by capitalizing on a little-known legal loophole that gave his real estate investment trust (REIT) powers few could match. Sternlicht was born in New York City in 1960 and graduated magna cum laude from Brown University in 1982. He got his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1986. His first job after Harvard was with Chicago-based JMB Realty. He formed Starwood after he was fired from JMB Realty before the savings and loan crisis . He had a friend who handled money for the ultrawealthy Burden and Ziff families who offered to back him with $20 million if he started his own investment firm. Others joined in, and in 1992, Sternlicht launched Starwood Capital Group with $52 million. His goal was to buy up multi-family apartment buildings that were being auctioned off in the government’s bailout of the savings and loan crisis . In 1993, Sternlicht sold the portfolio to real estate magnate Sam Zell for more than 20 percent of Zell’s Equity Residential Properties Trust. When Zell took the company public that year, Starwood saw a 100 percent return.

Barry Stuart Sternlicht (born November 27, 1960) is the founder, chairman and CEO of Starwood Capital Group , the private investment firm focused on global real estate , energy, infrastructure and securities trading. He is also chairman of Starwood Property Trust, now the largest commercial mortgage REIT in the United States traded on the NYSE and Chairman of SWAY. He previously formed Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide and served as its CEO from 1995 to 2005.

Barry Stuart Sternlicht (born November 27, 1960) is a billionaire and the co-founder (with Bob Faith ), chairman, and CEO of Starwood Capital Group , an investment fund with over $60 billion in assets under management . He is also chairman of Starwood Property Trust. He is the co-founder of Starwood and served as its CEO from 1995 to 2005. He has previously served on the board of directors of the Pension Real Estate Association and the Real Estate Roundtable . He is a past trustee of his alma mater, Brown University . Sternlicht's style has been described as "intense and impetuous".

American businessman Barry Stuart Sternlicht (born November 27, 1960) is an American billionaire and the co-founder (with Bob Faith ), chairman, and CEO of Starwood Capital Group , an investment fund with over $60 billion in assets under management . He is also chairman of Starwood Property Trust. He is the co-founder of Starwood and served as its CEO from 1995 to 2005. As of May 2023, his net worth was estimated at $4.6 billion. Sternlicht is on the board of directors of the Estée Lauder Companies , Baccarat Crystal , Robin Hood Foundation , Dreamland Community Theatre, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation ’s National Leadership Advocacy Program, and the Business Committee for the Arts. He previously serves on the boards of directors of the Pension Real Estate Association and the Real Estate Roundtable , and is a past trustee of his alma mater, Brown University . Sternlicht's style has been described as "intense and impetuous." Corporate Yellow Book: Who's who at the Leading Listed U.S.