Ben Ashkenazy (born 1968/69) is an American billionaire real estate developer. He is the founder, CEO, and majority owner of Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation, which has a $12 billion property portfolio. As of February 2024, his net worth was estimated at US$2.6 billion.[1]

Ben Ashkenazy
Born1968 or 1969 (age 54–55)[1]
Israel
NationalityAmerican
Alma materAdelphi University (did not graduate)
OccupationBusinessman
Known forFounder, CEO and majority owner of Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation
SpouseDebra Ashkenazy
Children3

Early life

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Ashkenazy was born in Israel, and grew up in Lawrence, Long Island, New York, the son of Izzy Ashkenazy, also a real estate businessman.[2][3] He is of Jewish descent.[4]

Career

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Ashkenazy bought his first property at the age of 18.[2][3] He attended night classes at Adelphi University, but did not graduate.[2]

In 1987, he founded Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation.[2]

In 2013, his company bought London's Old Spitalfields Market, but later sold it.[3] In July 2017, the company bought London's Grosvenor House Hotel for about $750 million.[1][3]

His company holds a long-term lease agreement with the City of Boston for Boston's Faneuil Hall Marketplace, leases Washington DC's Union Station, and has a $70 million stake in New York's Plaza Hotel.[3][5]

In November 2019, his company purchased the 83,923-square-foot Ferndale Shopping Center in Larchmont for a price exceeding $35 million.[6]

Personal life

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He is married to Debra Ashkenazy, they have three children, and live on New York City's Fifth Avenue.[1][5][7]

He hired rapper Drake to perform at his daughter's bat mitzvah in the Rainbow Room.[1][3]

Ashkenazy is a minority owner of Euroleague Basketball club Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Forbes profile: Ben Ashkenazy". Forbes. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "Ben Ashkenazy". Archived from the original on December 28, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "New York's Plaza Hotel Is in the Sights of This Shy Billionaire". Bloomberg. September 14, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017 – via www.bloomberg.com.
  4. ^ "The World's Jewish Billionaires". Forbes Israel. February 2, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Does Ashkenazy have an inside track at the Plaza?". Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  6. ^ Katz, Peter (November 19, 2019). "Ashkenazy buys Ferndale Shopping Center; second in Westchester in two weeks". Westfair Communications. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  7. ^ "Who's the Boss?". December 3, 2002. Retrieved December 27, 2017.