Jorge Perez
REAL TIME NET WORTH — as of 4/29/17
$2.8 B
Miami condo king Jorge Perez has developed or managed 90,000 residences in South Florida in the past four decades. A former urban planner, Perez had a chance meeting with New York developer Stephen Ross in 1979 and the two decided to cofound Related Group of Florida, an affiliate of Ross’ Related Companies. They built affordable housing in the 1980s, then switched to high-end condo construction. The global credit crisis hit Related Group hard, but Perez emerged from the rubble and changed how he did business. Most Related projects are now financed with the help of equity partners and the company takes on far less debt. Perez has partnered with President Donald Trump on three Florida deals in the past decade. Perez, an immigrant from Argentina born to Cuban parents living in exile, told Forbes that before the election, Perez confronted Trump on his immigration ideas and asked him, “When you build your 30-foot wall, which side should I be on?” Perez, a U.S. citizen since 1976, says Trump laughed, and after the Inauguration, Trump asked Perez to help him build it. Perez, a democrat, declined.
Source:forbes