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Joseph Moinian (born February 25, 1954) is an American investor, real estate developer, and philanthropist.[1][2][3] He is the founder and CEO of The Moinian Group, one of the largest privately held real-estate firms in the United States.[4][5][6] He owns and operates more than $10 billion of real estate across the country.

Early life

Moinian was born in Tehran, Iran to a Persian Jewish family, the son of Ayoub Moinian and Sara Moinian. His father was also a real estate developer.[7][8] At the age of 17, Joseph Moinian immigrated to the United States by himself.[4] Moinian graduated from Forest Hills High School and attended but did not complete a degree in business administration from The City College of New York before embarking on a career in consumer retail and real estate.[4][9]

Career

After arriving in the United States at the age of 17, Moinian began his first job working in the kitchen at the Cozy Corner restaurant in Forest Hills, Queens.[2] Moinian's first business venture was in women's fashion. He used his knowledge of the textile business to create Billy Jack for Her, a successful women's apparel company named after the 1971 movie Billy Jack.[4]

The Moinian Group

In 1982, Moinian founded The Moinian Group to invest in real estate, leveraging his earnings from his apparel company to purchase buildings in Manhattan.[1] Joseph Moinian's first acquisition was 450-460 Park Avenue South, a nearly 200,000-square-foot office building located in Manhattan's Midtown South.[10]

Since 1982 The Moinian Group has grown into one of the largest privately held real estate companies in the United States, with a portfolio of over 20 million square feet across major cities including New York, Miami, Dallas, and Los Angeles.[11][12][13] The Moinian Group funds, develops, and owns properties in every major asset category, including office, hotel, retail, and residential.[14][15][16][17] Over 35 years Moinian led the investment, development, and management of 20 million square feet of real estate, including 3 Columbus Circle, 3 Hudson Boulevard, Hudson Arts Building, Sky, Oskar, PLG, 535-545 Fifth Avenue, Willis Tower, and The International Jewelry Center, among others.[1][13][16]

Philanthropy

Moinian was chairman of the UJA-Federation of New York in 2010 and remains on its highest committee.[18][19] Moinian is a co-founder and board member of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in Lower Manhattan, a nonprofit established in memory of the victims and heroes of the September 11 attacks.[20] He donated roughly $5 million to the museum prior to its dedication in 2014.[20][21] Mr. Moinian is also a long-time supporter of The Special Children's Center in New Jersey, a service program for people with developmental disabilities and was the guest of honor at the organization's second-annual fundraiser.[3] He also serves on the board of trustees for the Sephardic Heritage Alliance, dedicated to the support of Persian Jewish families’ and individuals’ preservation of its proud three-millennial cultural heritage.[22] Moinian is a supporter of the Keshet Eilon Music Centre in Illinois.[22]

Recognition

Moinian is a member of the Board of Governors of the Real Estate Board of New York.[6] He also sits on the board of the Skyline Museum.[6] In 2019, Moinian was ranked 29th in The Commercial Observer's Power 100: Commercial Real Estate's Most Powerful Players.[23] In 2018, The Moinian Group was named Manhattan's fifth most active developer by The Real Deal, with 2.6 million square feet of development activity.[24]

Personal life

Joseph Moinian is married to Nazee Moinian, also from Iran, whom he met when he was 26.[4][25] They have five children and reside in Manhattan. Joseph Moinian has secondary residences in Quogue, New York, and Miami.[4]

Joseph Moinian has two brothers: Morris Moinian, real estate developer and founder of Fortuna Realty Group, and David Moinian, real estate developer and founder of Moin Development Corp.[4] Joseph Moinian is active in the Persian-Jewish community and is involved in the development of a Jewish temple in Midwood, Brooklyn and other synagogues in New York under construction.[4][26]

References

  1. ^ a b c Pristin, Terry (14 January 2009). "An Owner of Towers Walks a Tightrope". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  2. ^ a b Gregor, Alison (21 May 2006). "After a Buying Spree, It's Time to Develop". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Real Estate Magnate and Premiere Philanthropist Joe Moinian to Possibly Invest $100M in Resuscitating "Toys R Us"". The Jewish Voice. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h The Real Deal: "Joe Moinian" By Candace Taylor retrieved October 28, 2013
  5. ^ "At Decade's End, Moinian Looks Back on 10 Years of Expansion, Innovation, and Success". Commercial Observer. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  6. ^ a b c "Creating Best-in-Class Luxury Living Experiences". Leaders magazine. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Moin Development | TRD Research". therealdeal.com. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  8. ^ "Joseph Moinian Pays $12.5 Million For Leon Black's Faena House Unit In Miami". Jewish Business News. January 17, 2017. Joseph Moinian was born in Teheran to an Iranian Jewish family.
  9. ^ The Real Deal: "Morris Moinian to break ground on $60M Soho hotel" By Katherine Clarke December 05, 2011
  10. ^ "Moinian just landed a loan on its Park Avenue South building". The Real Deal. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  11. ^ "The Moinian Group Branches Out: How Tech And Lending Augment Their Vast Portfolio". Commercial Observer. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  12. ^ Moinian Group Website: Overview Archived 2013-11-03 at the Wayback Machine retrieved October 28, 2013
  13. ^ a b The New York Observer: "Kind of Blue: Joe Moinian Lives the 3 Columbus Circle Dream" by Matt Chaban September 20, 2011
  14. ^ "Board of Directors, CEO Joseph Moinian Bio | Moinian Group". moinian.com. Retrieved 2019-02-26.
  15. ^ New York Observer: "Joseph Chetrit, the Most Mysterious Big Shot in New York Real Estate" by Tom Acitelli July 5, 2011
  16. ^ a b Real Estate Weekly: "Joe Moinian: How I survived the slump" By Al Barbarino March 14, 2012
  17. ^ Bloomberg: "Moinian Seeking Above-Market Rents for Hudson Yards Tower" By David M. Levitt June 11, 2013
  18. ^ "Bram Weber Receives Larry A. Silverstein Rex Award". UJA Federal New York. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  19. ^ "Jewish Real Estate Leaders React to Trump 'Brutal Killers' Comments". Bisnow. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  20. ^ a b "Joseph Moinian". 911 Memorial Organization. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  21. ^ "Revival Near Ground Zero". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  22. ^ a b "Joseph Moinian". The Marque. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  23. ^ "The Power 100: Commercial Real Estate's Most Powerful Players". Commercial Observer. 23 April 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  24. ^ "We ranked Manhattan's most active real estate developers". The Real Deal. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  25. ^ "I am a Jewish Iranian-American in favour of the nuclear deal". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  26. ^ "Permits Filed for Moinian's 1711 Coney Island Avenue, Midwood, Brooklyn". New York Yimby. 26 December 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2020.

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