Ben Ashkenazy

Not to be confused with Benjamin Ashkenazi.

Ben Ashkenazy
Born	1968 or 1969 (age 55–56)[1] Israel
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Adelphi University (did not graduate)
Occupation	Businessman
Known for	Founder, CEO and majority owner of Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation
Spouse	Debra Ashkenazy
Children	3

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]

Early life

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

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

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

1. "Forbes profile: Ben Ashkenazy". Forbes. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
2. "Ben Ashkenazy". Archived from the original on December 28, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
3. "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. "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.