Joseph Moinian (born February 25, 1954) is an Iranian-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 | |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Real Estate Developer |
Known for | Founder and CEO of the Moinian Group |
Spouse | Nazee Moinian |
Parent(s) | Ayoub Moinian Sarah Moinian |
Website | Moinian.com |
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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 five children.
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]
Joseph Moinian was born in Teheran to an Iranian Jewish family.