1. Barry Sternlicht is the founder of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide and served as its Chairman and CEO from 1995 to 2005.
21 Facts About Barry Sternlicht
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Barry Sternlicht previously served on the boards of directors of the Pension Real Estate Association, RH, Invitation Homes, Tri Pointe Homes, and is a past trustee of his alma mater, Brown University.
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Barry Sternlicht was born in New York City in 1960 and grew up in Stamford, Connecticut.
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Barry Sternlicht then worked as an arbitrage trader on Wall Street.
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In 1991, at the age of 31, with Bob Faith, Barry Sternlicht launched Starwood Capital Group to buy apartment buildings that were being sold by the Resolution Trust Corporation, created by the federal government to hold and liquidate the real estate assets owned by failed banks after the savings and loan crisis.
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Barry Sternlicht raised $20 million from the families of William Bernard Ziff Jr.
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In January 1995, Barry Sternlicht purchased Hotel Investors Trust, an almost-bankrupt real estate investment trust, and took over as CEO.
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In 1997, Barry Sternlicht's company acquired Sheraton Hotels and Resorts in a $13.3 billion transaction, topping a bid by Hilton Worldwide.
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Barry Sternlicht's innovations included W Hotels and the Westin Heavenly Bed.
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Barry Sternlicht makes venture investments out of his family office, JAWS Capital - which has engaged in three separate SPACs.
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In 1998, Barry Sternlicht received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.
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In 2004, Barry Sternlicht was named "America's Best Lodging CEO" by Institutional Investor magazine.
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In 2005, Barry Sternlicht was inducted into the Interior Design Magazine Hall of Fame.
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In 2015, Barry Sternlicht received the 2015 Cornell Icon of the Industry Award for his contributions to the hospitality industry, real estate markets and the global business community, as well his philanthropy.
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Barry Sternlicht was married to Mimi Sternlicht, whom he met at Brown University, but they divorced in 2016.
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In 2024, Barry Sternlicht stopped his donations to Brown University, his alma mater, after the university agreed to hold a board vote addressing student protestors' desire to divest from companies doing business with Israel in the aftermath of the October 7,2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas and subsequent Israeli military actions in Gaza.
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Barry Sternlicht has historically identified as a Republican, though more recently has characterized his political views as independent.
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Barry Sternlicht is a "self-described friend and golf partner" of Donald Trump but was disappointed Trump did not move to the political center as President of the United States.
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In 2008, Barry Sternlicht donated first to the Hillary Clinton 2008 presidential primary campaign and then to the Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign.
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In 2012, Barry Sternlicht contributed $70,800 to the presidential campaign of Mitt Romney.
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In 2016, Barry Sternlicht contributed $125,000 to Right to Rise, the political action committee created to support the Jeb Bush 2016 presidential campaign.