Sam Zell

Sam Zell (1941–2023) was a real estate investor who founded Equity Group Investments in 1968 and played a central role in creating the modern real estate investment trust industry. His willingness to buy distressed property during downturns earned him the nickname "the grave dancer." He sold Equity Office Properties to Blackstone for $39 billion in 2007, then bought the Tribune Company, which filed for bankruptcy the following year.