Sam Zell, RIP

yogibearbull

Barron's has a tribute to late Sam ZELL by Oscar SCHAFER, Rivulet Capital (2012- ). Sam passed away at 81 on 5/18/23. He was fun loving, fiercely independent, generous, loyal, courageous, and a mentor. In investing, he liked distressed situations and complex structures; he could take control of bad businesses, restructure and grow them and then sell them. He didn’t take himself too seriously, dressed nonconformally, sometimes even writing email poems during business negotiations. (He was a real estate tycoon and was a tough business negotiator – he was called “the grave-dancer” for good reasons) He threw big parties and could talk dirty too. He loved motorcycles (because they were fun, fast, dangerous) and had annual bike tours with friends who called themselves Zell’s Angels.
Schafer provides the personal side in Barron’s Op-Ed. More formal information can be found on the Wiki.
https://www.barrons.com/articles/sam-zell-markets-real-estate-life-lessons-8b6fa7d6?mod=past_editions
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Zell

LewisBraham

https://theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/11/sam-zell-mobile-home-king-evictions-hell

https://latimes.com/projects/la-me-mexico-housing-chapter-2/

https://money.cnn.com/2008/07/29/magazines/fortune/sloan_cubs.fortune/index.htm

hank

Thanks @LewisBraham -

I can’t get too weepy-eyed over Zell either. Although the old goat always made for a fiery interview with his strong (sometimes poorly supported) opinions. Nice links. The issue of mobile home parks / residents’ rights is a sad one. Not limited to Zell - though he’d fit the all too common managerial mold.

Baseball_Fan

Well.. I'll say this...I know someone who has lived in govt assisted housing in the chi area in a building that was owned by Mr Zell's company. He is was very grateful that the building was well maintained, had onsite attentive bldg manager, and had personally met Mr Zell and his wife who were both very friendly, cordial and approachable.

Don't always believe what someone writes and don't judge a man unless you have first hand knowledge. Especially after he's gone.

Rest in peace Mr Zell

RisklessInSeattle

Baseball_Fan said:

Don't always believe what someone writes and don't judge a man unless you have first hand knowledge. Especially after he's gone.

Rest in peace Mr Zell

Well said Baseball_Fan! I have seen too many comments here disrespecting the departed.

There will never be another investor like Mr Zell! RIP

hank

RisklessInSeattle said:

Baseball_Fan said:

Don't always believe what someone writes and don't judge a man unless you have first hand knowledge. Especially after he's gone.

Rest in peace Mr Zell

”I have seen too many comments here disrespecting the departed.There will never be another investor like Mr Zell! RIP”

Awe com’on No one is “disrespecting the departed”. Some are merely suggesting that when he was alive some of us found him flawed. I think LB’s links speak for themselves. If dying made you a saint, we’d all be bound for sainthood!

RIP Sam.

BTW - I read and appreciated the tribute to Zell in Barron’s @yogibearbull summarized. It was deeply moving and fitting. And the writer, who was close to Zell, show-cased his generous side. There was a time when I felt I learned a lot from his interviews. Not so much in recent years … but hey, I don’t want to sound disrespectful.

RisklessInSeattle

sounds like a biden snide

hank

So the bereaved @RisklessInSeattle has decided to usurp a thread about his favorite investor, Sam Zell, and turn it instead into into a political free-for-all having nothing to do with Mr. Zell or investing. Just too insane. I cannot begin to respond to this lunacy. Sorry.

I’m also sorry for MFO, as there’s way too much politics on it already. It hurts greatly for those of us who enjoy investing and hope to read about it here.

larryB

@Hank. “Way too much politics.” I am guilty as charged. Maybe Bogleheads have it right. They have Zero tolerance for any remark even hinting of politics. And Zero means Zero.

Observant1

As previously agreed to, the MFO Off-Topic section may be used for political comments or discussions.
This usage would enable forum participants to avoid political commentary if they wish.

AndyJ

Love the John Oliver form of investigative journalism. On the subject of housing dystopia, his HOA show is just as incisive and darkly humorous. HOAs, Last Week Tonight.