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.

Joseph Moinian
Born (1954-02-25) February 25, 1954 (age 70)
NationalityAmerican
OccupationReal Estate Developer
Known forFounder and CEO of the Moinian Group
SpouseNazee Moinian
Parent(s)Ayoub Moinian
Sarah Moinian
WebsiteMoinian.com

Early life

edit

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

edit

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

edit

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

edit

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

edit

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

edit

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

edit
  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.
edit