SAM ZELL
Chairman, Equity Residential
Years in the Industry: 45+
Sam Zell is founder of Equity Residential, along with two other mega-REITs. Not only is Equity one of the biggest apartment owners in the country, but it’s widely hailed by apartment analysts as one of the best managed firms in the business, public or private. At a time when its competitors are saddled with debt, Equity has the dry powder to be force in the industry for years to come.
Zell’s influence is also shown through the leaders he groomed. Both Doug Crocker, who ran the company at the beginning of the decade, and David J. Neithercut, who has been at the helm since 2006, were both nominated as candidates for this list. The past decade hasn’t been all success for Zell, however. He recently resigned as CEO of The Tribune Cos.
